Code Geass: Lelouch of the Second Chance
by kyugan
Summary: Lelouch was quite prepared to die, consigned to going down in history as the Demon Emperor, the target of the world's misery. He wasn't prepared to start over from the begining. LelouchxHarem. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

Due to miraculous support, and I do mean miraculous, I am happy to bring to you all this latest little brainchild of mine.

Please treat it with the same love and affection you have my earlier works.

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Code Geass: 

Lelouch of the Second Chance.

Epilogue: Fall of the Demon Emperor.

It was the culmination of a life's ambition, a perfectly scripted play, carried out to perfection in a fashion that would make Shakespeare weak at the knees.

_There was no pain, unsurprising really, as the blade piercing through his chest had been thrust through expertly, severing both muscle and bone in a single fluid movement, rendering him numb from the chest down._

_He could hear the shock from the crowd, despite the eerie silence that had fallen over them all. He almost wished he could see their faces, looking on in awe as the Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, who had attempted to conquer the world by taking the EU hostage, was silenced by the renegade Zero, the masked revolutionary that had stirred the nation of Japan against the empire._

_Only the captive members of the rebellion, the former Black Knights, looked on in confusion, though he suspected that several had dawning understanding of what was going on. They, after all, knew his true identity, that HE was in fact Zero, and had 'used' them to pave his path to the throne._

_All a lie, all a means to an end, to ensure that the world no longer deteriorated into a never-ending cycle of hatred and bloodshed, where people like his beloved sister would no longer live in fear._

'_Nunnally…' he wondered, even as he spoke with Suzaku, his closest friend, and now his executioner, bloody fingertips trailing against the mask he himself had once worn, which shielded the Japanese Knight's face, a smile on his face as he bestowed his last instructions on the teen, even as he stumbled away._

_He never felt the pain as he fell, his back hitting the walkway, leaving a bloody smear across the Britannian flag displayed there. He slid all the way, under the watchful eyes of the world, coming to a rest at the foot of the pagoda, broken, bloody, an oppressor dethroned before the oppressed._

_A shadow moved in the corner of his waning vision, Nunnally, his precious little sister, the one that had first denounced him as a demon, now looking on in disbelief as he lay there, a smile on his face. _'_It's over…Nunnally…' he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't even turn his eyes to look at her, no more than he could draw air into his ruptured lungs, nor move his leaden arms and legs._

"_Big Brother, I love you!"_

_Those words, four simple words that, to the dying Emperor, carried with them a greater power than if God himself had spoken them. His lips parted, eyes turning upwards into the growing light, a smile on his lips as he tightened numb fingers around her own "I know…" he whispered, smiling all the while, even as the light gradually faded "Destroy worlds…to Create worlds…"_

_And with that, Lelouch vi Britannia, 99__th__ emperor of Britannia, passed away, his eyes shutting beneath the shining sun of his homeland._

_Just before the monarch's eyes closed though, a brief image, a vaguely bird shaped crest, shone red against his purple eyes…_

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Really don't expect any reviews from this one chapter, though how you think of my portrayal of Lelouch's end is always welcome.

And yes, I know Epilogues are used for ENDINGS, that was a deliberate word-play to usher in the end of Lelouch's former life. The life he wrought from one mistake too many.

Time to change that, click the NEXT Button to continue!

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	2. Chapter 2

Yo, humble internet Review whore Kyugan here, with the first actuall chapter of this latest idea of mine.

Let's get this party started!

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Chapter 1: Reawakening.

"Don't kill him!"

Lelouch's eyes snapped open, gazing forwards in alarm, even as the sound of a gunshot pierced through the air. He blinked, gaping in confusion as a lock of green hair fell past his face, eyes wide as he gaped open the group of Britannian soldiers lined up before him, weapons at the ready. 'Where?' the former Emperor wondered, looking around in confusion, only to blink in shock as he recognized the green-haired figure at his feet "C.C?!"

"Well now what a shame." The leader of the soldiers drawled, smirking up at the teen, his gun aimed right at Lelouch's face, unaware that he was drawing on the 17th heir to the throne of Britannia "We burst into the terrorist hideout, only to find that the female hostage had already been tortured to death…what do you think, Schoolboy?"

"This…this can't be…" Lelouch muttered, looking about in confusion, gaping at his hands, noting with surprise that, rather than his bloody, white imperial clothes, he was in his old school uniform from Ashford academy "What…how…?"

A hand on his ankle caused him to look down, eyes wide as he saw C.C's hand clutching at his leg, despite her fatal head wound.

'_What are you waiting for?'_ the familiar, almost mocking voice chided, the world around Lelouch whiting out as he felt that alien touch of the Geass master's mind brush against his own _'You don't want it to end here…not after coming all the way…?'_

'_Cera…' _the former emperor breathed, whispering her true name, his gaze hardening, left eye twinging at the familiar feeling of his Geass activating, _'You better have a damned good explanation for all this!'_

'_Perhaps…'_ came the cryptic reply, even as C.C's hand relaxed, dropping to the floor next to her as Lelouch rose to his feet.

"What's the matter?" the commanding officer demanded, his tone as condescending as it had ever been as he watched his supposed victim rise to meet his doom "Something to say, Schoolboy?"

"All of you," Lelouch muttered, unveiling his active Geass for all to see, the crimson wings freezing the men in their tracks as he smirked at them all "Die."

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It had taken but a moment for Villetta to turn up, even less time for Lelouch to use his Geass to trick the dark skinned woman into surrendering her Sutherland and firearm. It had been tempting, oh-so very tempting, to simply blow the woman's brains out then and there, and thus save himself future grief, but the former emperor dimly recalled Ohgi having some relation with her or other, and so couldn't bring himself to do it. If push came to shove however…well that was for another day.

'It would appear that time has reset…' he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he gazed out upon the battle-torn remains of the Shinjuku slums 'Is this the power of Geass? Or is it something else…?'

Pushing such thoughts aside, he instead focused on the still form of C.C, resting against his torso as he piloted the Sutherland away from the tunnel and towards the battlefield to avoid suspicion. He'd bandaged her head to stem off the bleeding, though there really wasn't any need, seeing as she could hardly bleed to death.

'I don't know what's going on here…' he muttered, squatting the Sutherland down in a remote area, calling up the identification screen to determine the situation 'But I can get answers soon enough…right now I have a battle to win.'

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Kallen Stadtfeld cursed as she tried to outrun the Britannian forces in her outdated, one armed clunker of a Glasgow. The new Military Sutherlands were proving far more agile and powerful than her own Frame, and it was hard going simply to keep from getting shot in the back as she went around trying to draw their attention away from Ohgi and the rest, a fact made no less difficult by the Frame's dwindling battery.

"Dammit! Only thirty minutes left?!" she cursed, looking up at the power reading on her faltering Knightmare with desperate trepidation, even as the comm-link went off, her head snapping up in confusion.

"The west entrance." An unfamiliar voice ordered, Kallen blinking, wondering who the hell this joker was that had hacked their signal, and HOW he'd managed it in the first place "Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."

"Who is this?!" the redhead demanded, her voice laced with anger and suspicion, even as she weaved between the buildings, wondering of their security, such that it was, had been breached "How do you know this code?!"

"You haven't changed…" the voice noted, sounding oddly amused as he chuckled over the radio "Still as fiery tempered as ever…Regardless, if you want to win, you're going to have to trust me."

"To Win?" Kallen repeated, as if questioning the mystery man's sanity, as the very idea of turning the odds against the Britannian forces seemed staggering. Also, from the way he spoke, it was as if he knew her from somewhere, but she didn't recall hearing anyone like that before.

Still, it wasn't like she had a lot of options left, and at the very least she could drive the enemy away from the others.

So following the advice of the mysterious caller, she climbed onto the abandoned rail-tracks, racing along the subway lines, cursing as two enemy Sutherlands, one piloted by Jeremiah Gottwald himself, followed hot on her tail.

"Eyes front, Kallen." The mysterious voice instructed, the redhead looking up just in time to see a train moving towards her, leaping over it even as Jeremiah's Sutherland stopped the vehicle in it's tracks, his back-up leaping into the air after her.

A Slash Harken lashed out from the side, knocking the enemy Sutherland for six, Kallen's eyes widening as she followed the rappelling anchor back to one of the destroyed buildings, where another Sutherland lurked.

"Shot by friendly fire?!" Jeremiah gaped, his outraged voice sounding over the intercom as he turned to regard the threat "You there! What's your name and unit?! We're after the one armed Glasgow-!?"

The Commander's answer came in the form of a hail of bullets, as the treacherous Sutherland opened fire on the commander, holding him in place long enough for Kallen, in her one-armed Glasgow, to punch the mech's face in, Jeremiah ejecting the cockpit before the finishing blow could land.

"Whoever you are, thanks!" Kallen offered, smirking up at the building her unknown assistant had been lurking in "How'd you get your hands on a Suther…land?"

The building was abandoned, her secret benefactor having long since made his escape. The fact he'd managed to do so without a sound only hinted at how good he was at reading a situation.

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice called out, the rebel leader racing up to her along the tracks, flanked by the rest of her buddies, those that had managed to survive the attack anyways "What the hell was that radio message earlier?!"

"He contacted you too?" the redhead exclaimed, looking down at her buddies in confusion, even as the radio crackled again.

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"Good to see you're alive, Ohgi." Lelouch applauded, smiling as he the groups' gasps at their leader's identity being known carried over the airwaves, wishing he could see their expressions "As a reward, I present to the cargo in that train over there." He paused as the group turned to regard the train that had distracted Gottwald, Kallen using her Glasgow to open the side "They're tools for your victory, if you want to use them to win, then follow my orders."

"Who in the hell're are you?" Tamaki snapped, the irate rebel's voice practically screaming into the former emperor's ear, Lelouch holding the radio away, grimacing at the sheer volume of the man's voice "How'd you-HOLY SHIT?!"

"I see you approve of my gifts." Lelouch chuckled, ear smarting, but it was worth it to imagine the look on the mouthy rebels face as he gaped at the Sutherlands inside the cargo "Kallen," he called out, earning a startled gasp from the redhead "refit your Glasgow with a new battery pack but remain in it, your unit is going to run decoy."

"Y-Yes!" the fiery rebel stammered, sounding oddly flustered over the radio, even as her fellow rebels let out whoops of joy as they clambered into the sutherlands "But, how on earth do you know-?!"

"Who you are?" Lelouch interrupted, his smile sad as he recalled a distant kiss in a long forgotten hallway "I probably know you better than anyone…" his tone hardened "Enough about that, you should have less than fifteen minutes left, recharge and wait for my instructions."

Breaking contact, the former Demon Emperor leant back in the Sutherland's chair with a sigh, a hand over his face as he tried to get himself under control 'Calm down.' He muttered, grimacing as the memory of Kallen's betrayed face looking up at him, his eyes hardening with determination 'It won't be the same…not this time…there are more important things to think about now…'

Like the Lancelot. The infamous white Knightmare that had proved a thorn in the Black Knight's side since their first, unofficial battle, here in Shinjuku. A part of him considered letting the scene play out exactly the same, as there as no way the rebels could fight in Military Issue Sutherlands.

But another part, the part that held a grudge, wanted to make it clear that THIS time, the White Knight wouldn't be as domineering a foe as before.

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Clovis Vi Britannia, third prince of the empire and third line for the throne, lounged in his command center, watching with a hint of bored annoyance as his tacticians tried to flush the filthy Eleven terrorists out of their holes like the rats they were.

It really shouldn't have been taking this long, how hard was it to flush out a bunch of vermin with only one, outdated Glasgow on their side? Especially considering he'd given the soldiers free reign to execute anyone on the scene.

"Enemy sighted!" one of the soldiers reported, the prince's eyebrow quirking as he noticed the red Glasgow's signature appear on the map.

"A Feint?" he scoffed, sounding appropriately bored with the situation "How very pedestrian of them…"

His lackadaisical attitude quickly changed when an entire squad of Sutherlands was suddenly wiped out. From that moment, things deteriorated in a hectic scramble for information, as unit after unit dropped like flies to the enemy's tactics.

"How can this…" the prince stammered, watching as his general's strategies were read and countered, almost as if the enemy were reading off a script "Terrorists have our military weaponry?!"

He stood up, a scowl on his regal visage even as Bartley tried to change the codes for the fifth time, in a bid to cut off enemy sabotage "This failure is unacceptable!" the blonde monarch snapped, striding towards the balding, portly commander in a rage, only to pull up short as an annoying, bespectacled figure appeared on the main screen.

"Good Afternoon-!" Lloyd greeted, the smug, ambiguous master of pudding smiling at the frazzled command crew, ignoring Bartley's orders to get off the monitor "I'd say it's time to deploy the A6 special weapon."

"We've no time for this right now!" Clovis stated regally, glaring at his elder brother's annoying subordinate as he advanced on the map, just as yet another one of their squads went down "Bring up Quincy's squad!" he held up a hand to silence Bartley's protests "Reinforce the breach in the encirclement with some of the forces guarding me, all we know for certain is that enemy forces are HERE."

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"Just like last time," Lelouch scoffed, watching as Clovis' retarded attempt at cornering the rebels went into action "Honestly, it's almost pitiful how easy he made this the first time around."

Snorting, rearranging the slumbering C.C to that she was resting against his chest, Lelouch brought up his communicator and hailed his Red Queen "Kallen, You should have an area map, right?"

"Y-Yes." The redhead agreed, startled at his sudden hailing, having been focusing on avoiding the enemies attempts to drive her out into the open "I have a map, but it doesn't have any current landmarks-!"

"Not a problem, it'll do." Lelouch assured her, his tone reassuring as he watched Clovis' half baked attempt at encircling his forces with the same air of a professional critic watching a sub-standard production "Mission no.3, is everything prepared?"

"Y-yes." Kallen admitted, the tone echoing slightly due to her moving her Glasgow underground, her Id-signal no doubt confusing the living hell out of the encircling Britannian forces milling around up top.

"Very well." Lelouch chuckled, wishing he had a chess piece in hand as the redhead used her Slash Harken to destroy the support wall holding up the Shinjuku main street "With this, I call check…" He smiled, watching as the plume of smoke brought on by their last move rose above the fractured Shinjuku skyline, the Rebels joyous cries audible over the airwaves. "Don't let your guard down." He ordered, tone cutting through their jubilation like a lance "The battle isn't over just yet, the enemy have yet to deploy their ace…"

"Ace?" Ohgi queried, the confusion evident in the rebel leader's tone as the rest of the rebels muttered amongst themselves in understandable confiusion "Exactly what do you mean by 'ace'?"

"The enemy has a new, experimental Knightmare frame at their disposal," Lelouch revealed, wondering what kind of expression the rebels were sporting now "it outstrips the Sutherlands by a tremendous margin."

"What the hell?!" Tamaki snapped, the irate Rebel practically spitting over the airwaves in his ire, Lelouch patting himself on the back for his decision to tape the radio to the wall "You mean you sent us out in these clunkers for nothing?!"

"Not at all," Lelouch countered, smirking at the brazen Japanese's attitude "We already have the enemy in check, now we just have to move in for the kill…"

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Kururugi Suzaku, son of the late Prime Minister Kururugi Genbu, frowned as he slipped into the cockpit of the experimental, 7th generation Knightmare Frame, Codename Lancelot. He had to admit, it was kind of exciting, being the one to take the frame out on it's maiden mission, but on the other hand, the fact that Lelouch could still be out there, and that he'd be facing off against his own countrymen.

'No.' he muttered, shaking his head as he entered the man-machine interface, the identity code registering with the mech's onboard computer 'They made their choice, nothing can come from terrorism.'

Seizing the controls, the honorary Britannian's features set into a determined scowl as he commanded the mech to crouch in a runner's start, waiting for the launch permission from Lloyd and Cecile.

"Lancelot: LAUNCH!" the blue haired assistant called out, Suzaku flipping the throttle to full, racing off the transporter and into the ruins of Shinjuku at top speed, ignoring Lloyd's jubilant laughter about his 'Running full throttle out of the gate'.

The Lancelot handled even better than in the simulations, responding to his slightest touch, turning on a dime without losing any forward momentum. Unlike in the simulations however, Suzaku had to contend with the bullet wound he'd received for refusing to kill Lelouch.

'Lelouch…' he muttered, recalling his childhood friend, the disowned prince of Britannia that had been sent to stay with his family as a child, along with his blind, invalid sister Nunnally 'Did you make it out? Or did they…?'

Cecile had assured him that there had been no reports of a Britannian schoolboy being uncovered, which was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it meant Suzaku had no idea if his friend was still alive, but on the other, it meant Lelouch's identity was safe.

Britannia believed fully that the 11th Prince and Princess had been killed during the initial occupation of Japan, a fact that Suzaku fully intended to keep that way. He knew that Lelouch had no love for his homeland, had even vowed revenge for their casting him and Nunnally aside. It was one of the reasons he'd joined up as a Britannian soldier, to ensure that no harm came to them ever again.

His thoughts were interrupted as a hail of gunfire caused him to veer off course, whipping round only to find that the enemy had retreated from view.

"Using the ghetto's to their advantage…" he muttered, charging in the direction of the gunfire, only to yell as several rounds slammed into his back, knocking him out of his charge "From behind?!"

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'Sorry, Suzaku…' Lelouch muttered, watching with a detached expression as he directed the rebels in a dangerous game of keep-away with the white Knightmare 'But I can't have you interfering.'

"It's just like you said!" Ohgi reported over the radio, the sound of gunfire in the background as his cell kept Suzaku distracted, firing at him from amidst the rubble "Shit! He's deployed some sort of energy shield!"

"Fall back for now," Lelouch ordered, mind calculating as he pulled up everything he recalled about Suzaku's fighting style and the Lancelot's capabilities "Tamaki, the second he makes to advance, aim at the back of his legs. Kallen, are you in position?"

"You sure this'll work?" the redhead asked, her voice laced with uncertainty, and a hint of fear, as she watched the faster, more agile mech lunge after her friends, deflecting their bullets and swiping at them with Blaze Harkens.

"Positive." Lelouch offered, features grim as he severed the connection "C'mon Suzaku…"

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"This is crazy!" Suzaku cursed, whipping his shields around in a bid to ward off the continuous assault from the hidden enemy, even as the attacks from the rear kept up "It's like they were expecting me!"

"Suzaku? What's the problem?" Lloyd called in, the scientists voice sounding oddly concerned, no doubt worried about his precious Lancelot's debut being spoiled, though losing a pilot like Suzaku would a close second.

"The enemy has me pinned down in the slums!" Suzaku reported, using his grapples to leap onto a small building in a bid to get to higher ground "They're moving between the buildings, so I can't get a lock on them!"

"My, resourceful chaps aren't they?" Lloyd noted, sounding of all things amused by this interesting little wrinkle "Still, no one ever said war was clean…true victories require on the spot thinking and strategy."

"You certainly sound like you're enjoying yourself!" Cecile snapped, concern for Suzaku in her tone, even as Lloyd's pained wails echoed over the radio, the scientist begging his assistant to release his ear "Suzaku-kun, fall back for-!"

"Whoa!" Suzaku yelled, his eyes widening in horror as a hand punched through the roof he was standing on, grabbing the Lancelot's leg and holding the mech in place "They've got me-!"

Gunfire rained down on the mech from all sides, Suzaku cursing as he was knocked around the inside of the cockpit, looking up through the monitor to see the enemy surrounding him on all sides, perched on top of the taller buildings as they unloaded round after round into Lancelot.

"Dammit!" he swore, activating his shield to deflect the worst of the barrage, whilst leveling one of his Blaze Harkens at the hand holding him in place "Let go of me you-!"

A crimson fist came out of nowhere, the red Glasgow that had been reported on the battlefield punching Lancelot right in the face, sending the slimmer mech crashing into the roof, which crumbled beneath the force of the blow.

The last thing Suzaku heard as he blacked out was Cecile screaming his name over the radio as Lloyd had a panic attack in the background.

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"We did it!" Kallen cheered, pumping her fist as she watched the white Knightmare sink into the depths of the abandoned building, buried under several tons of collapsed steel and concrete.

"Whoever this guy is he knows his stuff!" Tamaki whooped, firing his rifle wildly in a victory salute, amidst cheers of approval from the others, several rounds of ammunition emptying into the clear, suddenly very sunny skies.

"All of you," their mysterious benefactor ordered, snapping them out of their revelry "fall back immediately and evacuate the civilians, use the Sutherlands as cover but avoid the remaining Britannian forces if at all possible."

"What about you?" Kallen asked, looking around in concern, trying to spot the red-masked Sutherland amidst the rubble, even as Ohgi set about ordering the rebels to disperse "Who are you?"

"I am Zero." The mysterious voice intoned, several resistance members blinking in confusion, muttering to themselves at the man's choice of alias "The man that will destroy the corrupt Britannia."

"Destroy-?! Wait!" Kallen exclaimed, only to blink as the line cut off without further ado, leaving her staring at her radio in awe "Zero…who is this guy?"

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'That should give them something to think about…' Lelouch chuckled, parking Villetta's Sutherland behind an easily accessible ruin, out of sight of the half-assed patrols that remained to guard Clovis' transporter.

Disembarking from the frame, leaving the slumbering C.C after checking on her one last time, the former emperor slipped into a uniform he'd swiped from one of the guards on the train, buckling the helmet in place before advancing on the trailer, smirking at the paltry resistance he met on the way.

'You'd think with the enemy wandering around Clovis would have his men shoot any suspicious persons on sight.' Lelouch noted, smirking even as he used his Geass to override the mind of the lone guard, slipping into the transport before making his way up to the command center, pausing only to cut off the lights to the upper floors as he did so.

"Who the hell are you?!" Bartley demanded, the portly general seeing only a worthless soldier that had dared break into the command center during a black out "Don't just stand there you idiot! Get the lights back-!"

"All of you, leave the transport." Lelouch ordered, smirking even as Bartley's rotund face went slack, the loud mouthed general and his subordinates filing out, leaving only a confused Clovis in the room.

"Bartley!" the prince yelled, looking after the general in confusion as the man, along with the rest of the bodyguards, sauntered out of the room in a trance "Where are you going! Get back here this instant you-!"

"So petulant, Prince Clovis." Lelouch chuckled, smirking as his elder brother directed his angry glare towards him, the look quickly turning to one of shock as the elder prince espied the drawn gun in the Lelouch's hand "Calm yourself, it wouldn't do for you to seem out of place when you order a retreat."

"Are…Are you with the terrorists?" Clovis demanded, flinching as the shadowy figure advanced on him, gun in hand, before his brow settled into the trademark Britannian Noble look of scorn "Do you intend to kill me?"

"Not just yet…" Lelouch muttered, smirking at his elder brother, stepping into the light, his Geass active in his left eye, even as Clovis' own eyes widened in shocked recognition "First, I need you to call off the attack, have your men pull out of the slums, the Eleven's are not to be harmed any further."

"Yes…" Clovis intoned, his voice laced with the hypnotic suggestion of the Geass, even as he reached for the microphone to broadcast his final orders to the doubtless confused troops still meandering around the ghetto.

"It's too bad." Lelouch muttered, leveling his handgun at his elder brother's face, waiting for the order to wear off before he pulled the trigger "Seeing as I've been given a second chance, I'd have preferred to do things differently…" his eyes narrowed in resolve "But you've committed too many atrocities to be allowed to live."

Clovis' final speech ended the exact second that Lelouch pulled the trigger, the third Prince, eyes widening in disbelief, only having time to mouth the words 'Lelouch-?' before his brains decorated the wall behind him.

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And I'll leave it there for now.

Just a little recap for those that missed the memo in my Crossover Corner:

Plot points:

1; Lelouch's Geass (left eye) is always active from the start, meaning he has to wear a medical eyepatch (Think Ryoumou from Ikki Tousen).

2; C.C, ever loveable enigma, is 'awake' as well, so she knows everything Lelouch does.

3; Lelouch's a lot bolder this time round, especially with the ladies. (This WILL be a harem fic if it gets off the ground)

4; Expect SERIOUS Britannian Pwnage (It's the irish in me, I swear!).

Other than that, it basically sticks to cannon...save Lelouch actually FLIRTS with people.

Also, Icannot for the life of me think of any omakes for Code Geass (This fic is taking up processor power as is) so anyone that would like to submit an Omake, do so either by review, or in a PM.

The most amusing ones will be posted at the end of the next chapter.

Rules of submission:

Keep 'em short people, I want funny, but not a fic in their own right.

NO YAOI! If you must HINT at Yaoi, make it for comedic references.

That said, go Nuts!

C.C: We await your submissions with eagerness...and pizza.

Lelouch: WITCH! Where are my credit cards?!

R&R!!

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	3. Chapter 3

Since most of you've alrdy read chapter 1, I figured it only fair to post no. 2 a little early.

It's all you're getting for a while tho, so make it last.

Also, animefan29, your Omake was brilliant, I'll work it in to the relevant chapter when it comes around, 'k?.

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Chapter 2: Same World Changed?

Lelouch sighed as he closed the door to his bedroom behind him, having managed to sneak into Ashford academy without alerting anyone through use of the underground maintenance passage.

'Have to remember to thank Milly again.' He chuckled, recalling how the wily Council President had let it slip that such a tunnel existed 'The Ashford's always did have a few tricks up their sleeves.'

Grunting, he rearranged the limp form of C.C, carrying the white witch bridal style into the moonlit room, thankful that Sayoko and Nunnally were already in bed at this time. 'She really does look different asleep.' He noted, smirking wryly as he laid the green haired immortal on his bed 'Like all the contempt and sarcasm are gone…'

"Are you going to just stare at me all night?" the woman asked suddenly, her tone mocking as one golden eye creaked open to gaze up at him "Or were you actually trying to take advantage?"

"Please, you know me better than that." Lelouch scoffed, though he didn't move away from his position, one hand still cupping her cheek "That said, I think you have some explaining to do."

"Perhaps." C.C admitted, in that annoyingly flippant manner that, a lifetime ago, would have had Lelouch ripping his hair out at the roots in a fit of anger "Or perhaps I'm as clueless as you are."

"THAT I highly doubt." Lelouch contradicted, smirking wryly at his contractor, sitting back to allow her to sit up on his bed "If there's anyone that understands the power of Geass, it'd be you or V.V."

"Unfortunately." C.C muttered, grimacing at the memory of the elder brother of Lelouch's father, the immortal that possessed the same 'code' as her "Though I suspect he is not an issue now."

"Judging by the fact that we aren't up to our eyebrows in Knightmare Frames and Rollo isn't trying to knife me, I'd have to agree." Lelouch noted with a wry snort "That being said, what's going on? I died, didn't I?"

"You did." C.C admitted, her features turning solemn, more so than usual, as she averted her gaze, hugging her knees to her chest at the memory of the 'Zero Requiem' "And now you are alive, back at the beginning."

"Does Geass have the power to transcend time itself?" Lelouch queried, holding C.C's shoulders to make her look at him, his gaze hard and demanding "Tell me, has anything like this happened before?"

"You're eye…" C.C noted, her golden gaze flicking to Lelouch's left eye, the former Emperor frowning, turning to regard himself in the mirror, only to blink at the sight of his permanently activated Geass "It seems this time is not without it's changes."

"Damn!" Lelouch muttered, covering the permanent Geass with his hand instinctively, not wanting to unwittingly Geass himself "This is awkward, do you have any of those contact lenses?"

"Why do you presume I would have any on me now?" C.C asked, a coy smile on her face as she gestured towards her white lab outfit "It took time to create those contacts, I have only been 'awake' for the same amount of time you have."

"Damn…I'll have to use an eye patch or something in the meanwhile…" Lelouch muttered, making a mental note to stop by the infirmary, maybe Geass the Nurse into giving him a few other medical supplies whenever he asked.

"Hmm…I like the thought of that…" C.C noted, smiling in a distinctly catlike manner as she lounged on the bed, Lelouch blinking at her in confusion "Lelouch the pirate…it has a nice ring to it."

"Shut it, witch." The former emperor muttered, though it was with an affectionate tone that belied the insult, which C.C clearly knew "Either way it's late, we can figure out what to do in the morning.

"What about Suzaku?" C.C asked, freezing the neo-teen in his tracks as she knelt, catlike atop the bed "Is he awake, like us?"

"No." Lelouch muttered, his features grim as he recalled leaving the Lancelot buried under the collapsed building while he went off to murder Clovis "But that will simply prove to our advantage."

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Suzaku groaned, his eyes cracking open blearily, only to flinch as he gazed up at the light that was shining down on him "Where?"

"Oho? Awake are you?" came a familiar androgynous voice, Suzaku blinking as Lloyd's eerie, bespectacled face peered down at him from on high, like a randy cupid "Quite a spill you had there, eh Suzaku?"

"Are you alright, Suzaku-kun?" Cecile asked, the blue haired assistant looking down at him in concern from the other side of the medical bed, a clipboard under her arm "How do you feel?"

"Like a house fell on me…" Suzaku grumbled, earning an amused laugh from Lloyd, even as he blinked, his eyes snapping wide as he turned to face his colleagues in desperation "The battle!"

"A complete and utter loss." Lloyd replied, sighing dramatically as he shrugged "They played us completely and even managed to mess up the Lancelot's big debut! If I wasn't so vexed I'd be impressed."

"Fortunately the Lancelot's armor ensured there was little damage to the frame itself." Cecile reported, as if trying to sooth both the creator and pilot "But it'll be a while before we can deploy it in battle again."

"If we get the chance to." Lloyd sighed, shaking his head in defeat "The top brass weren't to pleased with a group of Eleven upstarts taking you down in stolen Sutherlands, raised a big stunk until I pointed out they were questioning Prince Schniezel's project."

"In the end, it was passed off as a lack of intel on our part." Cecile explained, smiling soothingly, only to blink as Suzaku slumped.

"It wasn't that." The pilot muttered, his brows furrowing in anger as he recalledhow EASILY he'd been played "They KNEW the Lancelot was coming, they had an ambush set up in advance and I fell right into it."

"Oh don't be ridiculous." Lloyd huffed dismissively "Not even General Bartley knew what Lancelot looked like, the only reason Prince Clovis did was because he was there to pick us up when Schneizel dropped us off."

"Still…" Suzaku muttered, grimacing as he recalled how easily he'd been read, how the enemy had lead him into the ambush like a calf to slaughter. To top it all off, he'd been beaten by that red Glasgow of all things, a lousy, outdated 5th generation clunker that by all rights should have been on the scrap heap.

"Anyways, it looks like our work is about to get a lot more interesting from now on." Lloyd muttered, scribbling on a clipboard as he spoke "What with Clovis being assassinated and Cornelia on her way to…"

"Prince Clovis was assassinated?!" Suzaku gaped, eyes wide as he stared at the pudding crazy scientist in disbelief "But…how did they?!"

"Kururugi Suzaku." A cold voice called out, the trio looking up to find several stern-faced Britannian Military Police, lead by Jeremiah Gottwald, standing in the doorway "Come with us please."

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"Holy cow Lelouch!" Rivalz exclaimed, the blue eyed teen's eyes widening as the purple eyed Lamberouge walked into the Student Council room, eye patch in place "What the heck happened?!"

"Sorry," Lelouch offered, smiling weakly as he looked around the office, noting the looks of surprise, though Milly's was lined with approval, and concern as he fingered the medical eye patch "My eye was injured that day we went out, remember when I went down to investigate the truck?"

"Oh Lulu…" Shirley offered, the sweet orangette looking up at her not-so-secret crush in concern, her earlier intention to tell him off for going off campus to gamble forgotten "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Lelouch assured her, smiling in a bid to force down the memories of her dying in his arms from Rollo's attack "I just need to wear the patch for a while, the nurse says it should recover soon enough."

"I think it looks badass!" Rivalz opined, grinning at his gambling buddy and giving the teen a thumbs up "You should keep it up even if it does heal!"

"I agree!" Milly added, winking teasingly at her childhood friend as she pretended to hug herself, a HIGLY suggestive smile on her face "Ooh you remind me of those pirates from the old novels..."

"Madam President!" Shirley exclaimed, the orangette blushing furiously as she slapped the table, startling poor reclusive Nina, who jumped in her seat at the back "You shouldn't say stuff like that!"

"It's alright, I don't mind." Lelouch assured the girl, returning Milly's smile with a half-lidded smile that caused the principle's granddaughter to blink "I didn't know you read those kind of things…interesting."

Milly flushed, averting her eyes from the unusually suave look her childhood friend had sent her and coughing into her fist "A-Anyways!" she said, a little too loudly to be taken completely seriously "We need to find a solution for the club activities budget, or there won't be money left for anything at all!"

"Yeah, and the last thing we need is for the Equestrian club to come charging in here on horseback to shake us down for money." Rivalz chuckled, earning a rolled up newspaper to the head from Milly.

"If that's the case we really should have started on this a few days ago." Lelouch opined, looking over his own stack of papers "at this rate even your 'GUTS' spell won't do any good."

There really was something appealing about a flustered Ashford the former Emperor noted, watching as Milly turned an interesting shade of pink as he smiled up at her, before coughing again and batting him with her roll of paper. "Don't doubt in my power!" the Ashford heir chastised the former emperor "With Guts, we can do anything!"

"I agree!" Shirley opined, raising her hand with a supportive smile "I always feel fired up after one of your 'Guts' cries!"

"Supple AND willing," Milly noted with approval, straightening up to smile at the younger girl, hands on her hips "that's what I like."

"I train hard in the gymnastics club." Milly boasted, pumping her arm for emphasis, only to blink as Milly chuckled in amusement "what?"

"That's not what I meant." The Council President countered, her tone sly, her eyes flicking to Shirley's breasts beneath her school blazer "You're a ten, from what I've seen in the girl's bathroom anyway." She smiled at the flustered girl's discomfort "You've been filling out in all the right places, huh?"

"That she has." Lelouch chuckled, earning a startled gasp from Shirley, who covered herself up with a look of surprise, even as he got to his feet, papers in hand "I think I'll stop by the nurse before class, later."

He walked out, smiling down at the embarrassed Shirley, nodding to Rivalz and Nina, before delivering a suggestive wink to the stunned Milly, just as the door closed behind him.

Rivalz blinked, looking after the purple eyed teen in confusion, before turning to face the rest of the council, two of which were red in the face for one reason or other "Did…Lelouch just flirt?"

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'That was surprisingly more fun than I thought it'd be.' Lelouch chuckled, walking down the hall, nodding to passing students, some of which were looking at his eye patch in confusion 'No wonder C.C teased me so much before, and I thought messing with 'orange boy' was fun!'

Not that he'd trade casual flirting for messing with Jeremiah's head or anything, but there was just something so much more satisfying watching Milly stutter in embarrassment. He may take Rivalz up on his suggestion to keep the eye patch

So caught up in his thoughts was he that Lelouch forgot that, with the eye patch on, his ability to perceive threats on his left side, namely someone bumping into him, was gone. As it was, Lelouch barely managed to get his back against the wall, catching the assailant and holding her close, his papers scattered on the floor.

"Oh, Sorry…" A soft-spoken voice offered, Lelouch's one visible eye widening as he gazed down at the demure face of Kallen, in her guise as Kallen Stadtfeld, the sickly heiress to the Stadtfeld family, as she gazed up at him in concern "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Lelouch assured the girl, tightening his hold on her slightly, smirking internally as he caught the faint flash of surprise in her eyes, before releasing her and crouching down to pick up the scattered papers "I really should have been paying more attention."

"No, it's my fault." Kallen assured him, crouching down and helping him pick up the papers, even as her friends drew closer, enquiring what had happened.

"Don't worry about it." Lelouch assured the resistance fighter in disguise "These things happen when people are in a hurry." He accepted the sheaves of paper from the redhead with a smile "Thank you."

Kallen blushed, averting her eyes from his own, withdrawing her hand at the feel of his fingertips on her own as she stammered another apology, standing up and moving to rejoin her friends.

"Your name is Kallen Stadtfeld, correct?" the one-eyed teen called out, causing the redhead to turn to him in surprise "We're in the same class, my name is Lelouch Lamperouge." He smiled at her, causing several of her friends to giggle "It's good to see you back, Miss Stadtfeld."

"Ah…thank you." Kallen offered, looking more flustered by the second as she bowed slightly, before moving off with her friends, sending him the occasional look over her shoulder.

'Oh yes…' Lelouch chuckled, smirking to himself as he made his way towards his first class 'I definitely like the way this is going.'

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For the rest of the day, Lelouch made a point of greeting Kallen in small, innocent ways, which nonetheless managed to leave the redhead flushing, surrounded by her giggling friends whenever they parted. Rivalz, of course, suggested that it was about time the teen started testing the waters, until Lelouch suggested that the other teen should switch to different bait.

Of course, he made it a point to sit with Shirley during class, startling the orangette and rendering her stiff as a board the entire day, though she had recovered somewhat by lunchtime, enough to ask if Lelouch wanted to join her.

Deciding against raising Kallen's suspicions, for now, Lelouch had accepted, and was rewarded with the sight of a flustered Shirley, who'd honestly expected the teen to come up with an excuse.

'Note to self, Shirley's strawberry shortcake is to die for.' The former emperor noted, wiping a dab of fresh, whipped cream from his lips with his napkin 'Also, try to save some for Nunnally.'

"L-Lulu…" Shirley spoke up, looking nervous as hell as she gazed down at her knees, fingers knotting her skirt as she bit her lip, trying desperately to ask the long rehearsed question "Um…is there…someone you…"

"Shirley…" Lelouch called out, the girl turning, eyes flying wide as she noted the one-eyed teen looking at her with an expression of intense focus that brought a healthy flush to her cheeks "Don't move…"

"L-Lulu…?" she stammered, the slight blush deepening across her cheeks and down her neck as he drew closer, her heart going a mile a minute as she closed her eyes, blood buzzing in her ear.

"Got it." Lelouch muttered, the girl's eyes blinking open to find her crush smiling, opening his napkin to reveal a dead bee "He was buzzing around your head earlier, must have smelled the cake."

"O-oh…" Shirley stammered, her face heating up in embarrassment, even as her heart sank, berating herself for her overactive imagination "T-thank you, Lulu-!"

She trailed off as Lelouch's finger stroked her cheek, wiping away a trace of cream that the one-eyed teen licked off the digit with a lidded smile "Delicious."

Shirley would later awaken in the nurse's office, having collapsed from the sheer force of the blood rushing to her face so fast.

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That evening, as he listened to Nunnally relate all the things that she and Sayoko had done, Lelouch couldn't help but watch his little sister, even as he cut up her steak.

The Nunnally before him had no memory of his using his Geass on her, had no memory of his murdering Clovis, of Schniezel's using her against Lelouch, of how she had held his hand and wept into his bloody chest as he died.

Here and now, Nunnally was the same, defenseless little girl for whom he'd gone to war with Britannia, and this time, this time Lelouch wouldn't let her out of his sight for even a second.

"Big Brother?" the blind Lamperouge queried, snapping her elder brother out of his daze to find her small hand touching his, a look of concern on her innocent face "What's wrong? You're so quiet…"

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." He assured the girl, taking her small hand in his, kissing the dainty fingers in a way that always earned a giggle from his sibling "I didn't mean to ignore you."

"It's alright." Nunnally assured him, beaming up at her elder brother with the same innocent expression as ever "Because big brother has a lot to worry about, being on the council and all."

"I'd drop it all in a second to be with you." Lelouch assured her, earning another giggle from the girl as he held her knuckles against his cheek, smiling softly all the while as he recalled how hard it had been in the past, what with his duties as Zero.

"Big brother…" the smaller girl began, moving her hands so that they were holding pinkies with one another "Sayoko taught me this the other day, it's a pinkie swear! If you break it, you have to eat a thousand needles!"

"Sounds scary," Lelouch chuckled, even as they two broke the connection, "I may have to swallow a thousand needles one day."

But if he could keep his little sister safe, and out of the hands of Schneizel and the rest, he'd swallow anything, even his pride, to do so.

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"You're home late…" C.C noted, lounging on the bed with a bored expression on her face, dressed only in the upper half of her outfit, bare legs kicking lazily at the air.

"I was tucking Nunnally in for the night." Lelouch explained, sighing as he slipped out of his jacket and shirt, leaving him bare-chested from the waist up "She didn't want to fall asleep alone."

"Nightmares can be a terrible thing…" the white witch opined, her tone lackadaisical, but her meaning all to clear to Lelouch. After all, who could sleep with such memories as being burnt alive at the stake waiting for them?

"I don't see any pizza boxes lying around." The former emperor noted, smirking at the lounging witch as he sat on the bed, an eyebrow quirked enquiringly "Don't tell me you weren't hungry?"

"You took your credit card with you." C.C countered, her tone accusatory as she turned one golden eye to glare at him, looking sorely displeased "I couldn't pay for it even if I DID order it."

"Sorry." Lelouch chuckled, his tone making clear he was anything BUT apologetic as he bent down to undo his shoes "I had a bit of fun today…seems the eye patch is a good look for me."

"You have the face for it." C.C teased, rolling over so that her chin was resting on her linked fingers, elbows propped up on the mattress "Those long bangs, those cold eyes, that sharp chin…"

"You make me sound like a villain." Lelouch quipped, a sardonic smirk on his face as he set his shoes at the foot of the bed for easy access the following morning.

"Are you not?" C.C asked, her tone inquisitive "You've killed Clovis, twice now I may add, and clearly intend to take up the mantle of Zero again…"

"Clovis was a necessary sacrifice." Lelouch muttered, recalling how, a lifetime ago, he'd actually been sickened by having to kill the flamboyant prince, albeit temporarily "Without his death, Zero has no credibility, and Cornelia never has a reason to transfer to Japan."

"So you intend to try again?" C.C asked, looking over at her contractor, golden eyes shining in the moonlight "To topple Britannia?"

"This time we do it RIGHT." Lelouch muttered, scowling as he recalled the many, MANY mistakes he'd made the first time round "I no longer need to pad around seeking out mother's killer…V.V, the Geass order, and the Emperor can be dealt with sooner or later." His eyes narrowed "Right now though, I must assemble the Knights."

"The Knights for Justice." C.C recited, her tone, if not mocking, then oddly wistful, as she recalled the old days, their old life "Will you keep your identity from them?"

"At first, I'll have to." Lelouch admitted, his features grim "However, I think letting them know about Geass from the start might prove to stem their fears later." He held his chin, frowning in thought "How to broach the subject though…"

"Later…" C.C insisted, Lelouch blinking as a pair of arms enveloped him from behind, looking over his shoulder to find the white witch hugging his back to her chest, her BARE chest "Come to bed."

"Temptress." The former Demon Emperor mocked, turning towards her, C.C's hands removing the patch, revealing his eternal Geass without fear. Lelouch leant forwards, lips parting to claim hers as he pushed the green haired immortal onto the mattress, their tongues dancing softly in each other's mouths, even as C.C pulled the covers over them.

In a distant corner of the room, the sound of the clock struck midnight was cut off by the soft moans of the white witch, as she wrapped her arms around her lover's frame.

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Whoo! Little something extra for you true reviewers.

Since no-one submitted a Review for THIS chapter, it'll have to wait.

Animefan29, yours is coming up.

R&R! Chibi Lelouch commands it!

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Sweet Zombie Jeebus, i haven't had this many reviews in such a short space of time since...god knows but it's been a while.

As such, here's chapter 3.

Also, expect TWO excellent Omakes by the end of this chapter.

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Chapter 3: Zero of the Rebellion.

"Good Morning…" Lelouch greeted, the former emperor already dressed in his school uniform, eye patch resting on the desk before him as he smiled at the rousing figure sitting up on the bed "Sleep well?"

"Very." C.C purred, stretching with cat-like grace beneath the thin bed sheet, her back arching enticingly as she smiled at her contractor, "Off so soon?"

"There are some things I need to take care of." Lelouch admitted, fiddling with his tie as he spoke "For one, I need to find a way to introduce Kallen to the Student Council…then there's the order for my 'Zero' costume."

"Multitasking has always been one of your strengths." C.C noted, sitting up on the bed, heedless of her nudity. It wasn't like Lelouch had seen worse after all, ESPECIALLY after what had gone on last night.

"When one's enemy is an empire that encompasses over a third of the globe, you learn to handle many situations at once." Lelouch opined, finishing with the tie, only to find his eye patch missing "Cera…"

"Come now…" C.C teased, smiling tauntingly as she held her hands behind her back, heedless of how it placed her breasts on display "Can you guess which hand it's in?"

"What if I guess wrong?" Lelouch asked, his tone amused, even as he turned to regard the witch with his eternal Geass, leaning in close to her face with a daring smirk "What will you do?"

"Geass doesn't work on me, remember?" C.C taunted, tilting her head back as Lelouch kissed her, her fingers uncurling slightly as it went on, a small moan rising from the back of her throat.

"Gotcha." Lelouch quipped, smirking as he gripped the hand that held his patch gently in his own, C.C smilingapprovingly up at him, before bringing the patch up and placing it on "You want anything?"

"Pizza." C.C replied promptly, earning a snort of bemusement as Lelouch pulled one of his credit cards out, setting it on the bedside next to her "Come back soon."

"Always." Lelouch assured her, slipping out the door and off to the school.

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Kallen Stadtfeld was in a mixed mood that day.

On the one hand, she was still trying to get over that guy, Lelouch something-or-other, that she'd bumped into while trying to get some alone time, away from her 'friends'. As if she could ever truly be friends with a Britannian.

The guy was strange, eye patch aside, he seemed the sort that didn't stand out, which probably explained why she hadn't recognized him despite being in the same classes as one another. And yet, the way he smiled at her, coupled with the daring, pirate look from the patch…

Fighting back a blush, the redhead turned her mind to her OTHER concern, namely the mysterious 'Zero' that had hauled their asses out of the fire at Shinjuku, even giving them several brand spanking new Sutherlands to keep.

In a battle against an armed force like Britannia, even an outdated Glasgow was treated as a valuable commodity, to receive several top of the line Sutherlands had been a HUGE favor that the resistance fully appreciated, especially by the ever-ready Tamaki.

Speaking of the resistance, she was currently grousing over her last report to Ohgi, who despite her protests had instructed that she lay low on campus for a few days. Unlike the rest of the resistance, Kallen's status as a Half-Britannian offered her the element of protection, something that kept her out of harms way, while the others were forced to lay low.

"Miss Stadtfeld." A familiar voice greeted, the redhead looking up to find Lelouch himself smiling down at her politely, realizing with a start that she'd been so deep in thought she'd missed the bell "Would care to join me and Shirley for lunch?"

"Wha-me?" Kallen stammered, looking round to espy an equally surprised Shirley looking between the two in confusion. The poor girl hadn't even invited Lelouch today, he'd simply turned up out of the blue and asked her to tag along.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you about." Lelouch admitted, smiling serenely at the redhead, causing her cheeks to flush despite herself, as he WAS pretty cute to look at "Would you mind?"

"N-No, not at all…" Kallen stammered, internally cursing herself, as she'd been planning on ditching her 'friends' to try and look into this 'Zero' guy on the net. Someone with connections like THAT didn't just drop out of thin air.

"Don't worry, we wont be alone." Lelouch assured her, walking between the two women towards the club-room "It's simply a little get together at the Student Council, the President insisted."

"O-oh yeah!" Shirley exclaimed, the orangette patting her palm in realization, a light of understanding blinking on behind her eyes "That's right, Lulu recommended you for the Student Council."

"W-what!?" Kallen stammered, gaping at the one-eyed teen in shock, wondering just what on earth he was playing at as he turned to smile at her.

"Well, I'd heard that your condition made it hard for you to join any extra-curricular activities." The teen admitted, smiling in that disturbingly serene manner of his "As Vice-President, I had a word with the principle, and he agreed to have you inducted."

"U-um…that's nice of you and all…" the redhead began, wondering if there was a way she could weasel out of this without drawing suspicion "But I really don't think-!"

"Nonsense, don't be so hard on yourself." Lelouch insisted, patting her on the shoulder reassuringly "You've got the highest GPA amongst our year, and joining the council has a whole wealth of benefits, hell the only ones with more clearance than us are the staff."

"Really?" Kallen wondered, her mind already calculating what this could mean. Getting on and off the campus in an emergency was always problematic, as she simply couldn't feign sick all the time. If she could use this to her advantage…

"Watch out!" came a startled yelp, Kallen looking up in alarm just as Rivalz, eternal klutz that he was, inadvertently sent a spray of a spray of champagne, into the redhead's face, drenching her from head to foot.

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"I apologize for that." Lelouch offered, internally fighting the urge to chuckle at Rivalz perfect sense of timing as he watched Kallen wash down, her frame visible from behind the shower curtain "Rivalz can be a bit of a klutz."

"It's alright." Kallen assured him, though internally she was envisioning stamping the blue haired secretary into a mushy paste with her Glasgow "Nothing wrong with cutting loose every now and again."

"Right…" Lelouch agreed, chuckling lightly "Oh, I brought you some of my clothes to wear for now…Milly and Shirley's are too big and Nina…"

"It's alright." Kallen assured him, honestly not that concerned, as she'd worn her brother's clothes on more than one occasion "That was fast, you went all the way to the boy's dorm?"

"Actually, I live here." Lelouch informed her "It'd be pretty hard for my sister to live off in the dorms, the principle of the school lets us stay here as a favor."

"I see…" Kallen muttered, sounding oddly sympathetic, shaking herself as she heard Lelouch move towards the door "By the way, what happened to your eye?"

"Hm? This?" Lelouch asked, ready to spin the yarn even as he turned "I got caught up in that mess that went down near Shinjuku, I came across this van that had crashed and got injured by debris."

Kallen's shadow stiffened, her eyes widening at his admission to being on the scene, during their getaway for that matter, before narrowing in suspicion. If this was Zero, then he knew who she was…but if that was the case…

"Lelouch…" she called out, pausing the teen in his steps again extending her hand past the curtain "Could you hand me that pouch over there?"

"Sure." Lelouch agreed, picking up the pouch he KNEW contained a hidden switchblade, from the sink and walking over to hand it to the redhead, who grabbed his wrist "Well, this is a surprise…"

"Don't act cute." Kallen stated, her tone strictly business as she glared at the teen through the gap in the curtain "Were you the one at Shinjuku? Are you Zero?"

"Zero?" Lelouch repeated, feigning confusion, his lidded stare boring into the redhead's own relentless eyes "As in 'nothing'? Is that some sort of online username?"

"Don't answer my question with a question." Kallen ordered, her grip tightening on his wrist as she stooped to pick up the pouch, popping the hidden blade with a flick of her wrist "Yes, or no?"

The phone rang, interrupting the staring contest between the two, who started at the ringing, Lelouch turning towards it, only to halt as Kallen tightened her grip, holding him in place.

"If I don't answer it, someone will come." The teen informed her, looking into her eyes to show his sincerity, even as he reached back with his free hand, bringing the wall phone to his ear "Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council…" he frowned "No, this is…oh…"

Kallen scowled, only to blink as Lelouch held the phone to her through the curtain "Its for you." The one-eyed teen informed her, "He says he knows you."

'Ohgi?' the redhead wondered, cursing the rebel's timing, wondering what the hell he was doing calling on a public line as she set the blade aside and accepted the phone from Lelouch's offered hand "Hello?"

"Glad you're still alive, Kallen." Came a familiar voice, the redhead's eyes widening, even as she stared at Lelouch's captive hand in her grasp "Though I must admit, I never would have taken you as the type to let a man watch you bathe."

'Zero?!' Kallen stammered, looking from the phone to Lelouch through the gap in the curtain, part of her wondering if this was some sort of trick, the other feeling all to exposed 'How does he know that I'm in the bath?!'

"16:00 hours, the day after tomorrow." Zero's voice ordained, the redhead startling out of her daze to pay attention to the man's instructions "The observation deck at Tokyo tower, come alone."

"Who are you?!" Kallen demanded, glaring at the phone "How did you arrange that cease fire?! How the hell do you know where I am?!"

The only answer was a dial tone, as 'Zero' had apparently hung up.

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'This is just as amusing as it was the first time.' Lelouch noted, smirking internally at how well Sayoko, under the decree of Geass, had carried out his instructions 'By then I should have things set up to my needs.'

"Cease fire?" he asked, turning his head slightly in a bid to feign respect for the redhead's nudity, as Kallen had thrown the curtain wide as the phone call ended "That sounds a bit rough…are you into online games, Miss Stadtfeld?"

"Huh? Oh! Y-yeah…" Karen stammered, averting her eyes at the slip of the tongue, heedless to the fact, her goodies were all on display.

'And what goodies they are.' Lelouch noted, his eye roaming over the redhead's ample figure. She might have been shorter than Milly and Shirley, but she more than made up for it around the bust line.

"Um…Miss Stadtfeld." He began, allowing a hint of red to come to his cheeks "You DO know I can see you, right?"

Kallen blinked, gazing down to find tha she'd pulled the curtain a little TOO far, and even standing with her back to Lelouch, she was standing in plain sight.

'She's cute when she blushes.' He noted, watching as the girl crouched down, hiding her shame by drawing the curtain between them 'Same old Kallen, steady as a rock, but at the same time…'

"I'd best be going." Lelouch suggested, turning on his heel and walking towards the door, only to pause in the doorway "Miss Stadtfeld?"

"W-what is it?" Kallen asked, wishing he'd just leave, so she could try and forget how embarrassed she felt.

"I…just wanted to say I'm looking forward to working with you on the council." Lelouch stated, his smile carrying in his voice "I really want to get to know you better. Maybe you can introduce me to that game you play sometime…"

Kallen's blush actually lit the curtain up in a light pink glow, her hands covering her breasts as she listened to the door shut behind the teen, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

'Lelouch…Lamperouge…'

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"You look like you had fun." C.C noted, cheese trailing from her lips as she tucked into a deep-dish cheese pizza, extra large "Good day playing the fool?"

"I think I understand now why you enjoyed playing coy before." Lelouch admitted, chuckling as he changed out of his uniform and into more casual attire "It's so fun to watch people's train of thought derail."

"That's my boy…" C.C teased, smiling as the former emperor glared at her playfully "By the way, Suzaku was arrested earlier."

"That's Jeremiah for you." Lelouch admitted, snorting as he recalled how 'Orange-Boy' had been prior to his becoming one of Lelouch's most devoted followers, "He'll do anything to save face, and having the son of Kururugi Genbu take the fall for Clovis' death would most assuredly divert people's attention from the fact they allowed it to happen in the first place."

"That's a very cynical way of looking at things." C.C opined, nibbling away at her pizza as she spoke "After all, isn't your best friend slated to be executed for a crime YOU committed?"

"I saved him once before didn't I?" Lelouch countered, smirking confidently over his shoulder at the witch, swiping a slice of pizza, despite her bid to ward him off "All it takes is a matter of timing, my costume should be ready soon enough, even with the modifications to the helmet."

"Geass countering contact glass isn't that hard to come by." C.C reminded him, lounging on the bed as she spoke "Still, rather innovative of you to design the Black Knight's visors from the same material."

"If they're to be made aware of Geass, then I should at least give them some reassurance that the power isn't being used on them." Lelouch stated firmly "One of the reasons Schneizel managed to turn them against me was by manipulating their fear of Geass, this way, I can remove that threat."

"Though it will prove harder to earn their trust." C.C noted, her legs kicking lazily at the air as she hummed, finishing off the last slice of pizza and licking her fingers "Todoh in particular."

"Once I join up with the old man at Kyoto, Todoh shouldn't have any problems." Lelouch countered, taking a bite out of his own slice, savoring the rich, cheesy taste of the pizza as he leant back in his chair "Right now, I have a meeting to arrange."

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Kallen grimaced, trying to blot out the Britannian propaganda that was blaring over the speakers of what had once been called Tokyo tower. Now, it was a museum of the Empire's Victory over the 'unenlightened nation' of Japan, filled with photos of Britannian troops, battlefields, and the odd weapon display.

Naturally, she hadn't come alone, as she'd spotted Ohgi and the others tailing her from a distance. She didn't know who this Zero was, but if he was watching her, and it was clear he knew who they were, then it would be best to try to catch him off guard.

Just because he'd helped them out before didn't counter the fact they knew jack about him from Adam. On the contrary, the fact a stranger knew their names and faces was a security risk that would have to be addressed soon.

She snapped out of her thoughts as the intercom sounded, freezing as her name was called out, only to blink in confusion at the report that something of hers was being kept for her at the information desk.

'Could he be…' she wondered, moving slowly to avoid drawing suspicion, drawing up to the desk, where a smiling assistant supplied her with a brand new mobile phone, signed out in her name judging by the registry data.

'Whoever he is, he's good at covering his tracks.' The redhead muttered, looking over the phone, one of the newest on the market too, with a sense of grudging approval, even as Ohgi and his guys brought up the rear, making small talk about how 'great' Prince Clovis had been 'Great target practice maybe.'

Even as she thought those words, the phone went off, her eyes widening as the caller ID revealed the caller to be none other than 'Zero' himself.

"I want you to board the outbound train on loop-line 5." The mysterious voice instructed, the sound of a train passing in the background making Kallen's eyes widen "Bring your friends with you?"

"Are you watching us?" the redhead asked, feeling out in the open and exposed, like a big cat forced out of the grass by poachers.

"I'm always look after my precious investments." Zero replied, his tone both amused and soothing, much to the redhead's confusion "After all, we all have so much in common."

"Wait!" Kallen urged, only to curse as Zero hung up, the redial failing as it seemed his number wasn't registered 'Dammit! Who is this guy?!'

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"And that's that…" Lelouch noted, smirking to himself as he stood in line for the train, waiting diligently for the first signs of Kallen and her friends to show up 'Just like Ohgi to have her tailed, he always did watch out for everyone…even if it was an enemy.'

Shaking his head at the rebel falling for one of their staunchest opposition, Lelouch picked up the briefcase containing his Zero suit, walking forward as the cue moved, the train already pulling up at the station "Now then…"

It took but a matter of seconds to place the conductor under his control, ordering the man to act on as normal, but to turn off all the security cameras that would otherwise record the first meeting of the soon to be formed Black Knights, not to mention the first, unofficial appearance of Zero.

'Like riding a bicycle.' Lelouch noted, keeping his eye patch off as he stepped out of the conductor's room, before turning to face the other passengers 'Now then, just to make certain…'

"Everyone." He called out, the passengers looking up, just as Lelouch's Geass overrode their mental faculties "For the duration of your trip, you will follow my commands to the letter…"

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'This is creepy…' Kallen muttered, boarding the train, noting how eerily quiet it was as the doors shut behind her.

People on the transit didn't tend to talk to one another, even if one was traveling with a friend, conversation was normally kept quiet to keep from missing their destination. But not only were the patrons keeping silent, there were all sitting in the exact same pose, hands on knees, heads bowed towards the floor, eyes unblinking.

'It's like they're all in a trance…' the redhead noted, nodding to Ohgi, who was eyeing her from his spot further up the compartment, all of the seats had been filled by patrons, so the Rebels were the only ones standing on the entire train 'What's going on?'

The sound of the phone Zero had bequeathed her going off caused her to jump, the redhead bringing the communications device to her eat with a practiced flick of the wrist, pressing the call button without a doubt as to who'd be on the other end.

"Look out the window on the right." Zero ordered, the sound of train tracks in the background indicating that, yes, he WAS on the train with them, or at the very least nearby "Tell me what you see."

"The Britannian city." Kallen murmured, keeping her voice low in case anyone was paying attention as she eyed the splendor before her "It was stolen away from us, and built on our sacrifice."

"And the left?" Zero asked, Kallen's eyes turning to glare out the opposite window, which displayed a distinct contrast to the other.

"I see OUR city." Kallen muttered, her tone bitter as she gazed upon the gutted remains of what had once been called Tokyo "Remnants of a desecrated city, after the Britannian's sucked it dry."

"Good answer." Zero applauded, his tone laced with approval "Now, you and your friends make your way to the front of the train…I believe this meeting is long overdue."

'He's here!' Kallen realized, her eyes snapping to Ohgi, who nodded in understanding, the resistance leader patting his pocket to signify he was packing a firearm about his person as Kallen began to move.

Traversing the hallway up the car proved less of a hassle than usual, as the other passengers seemed unusually compliant with making room for them. Every compartment they entered boasted the same story, the occupants not even looking up at the rebels as they passed

'What's with their eyes?' the redhead wondered, noting how vacantly they were staring at the floor 'Are they drugged or something? No, how could anyone drug an entire train? And even if they could, why aren't WE affected?'

Such thoughts came to an abrupt halt as they came to the front car, blinking to find it relatively abandoned, save for a figure, standing at the very end, his back to them.

"You there!" Kallen called out, even as Ohgi and the others filed in behind her, squinting at the shadowy figure in suspicion "Are you the one from Shinjuku? Are you Zero?"

At that moment, the train entered a tunnel, the lights dimming around them as the figure turned, Kallen's eyes Kallen's eyes widening as she gazed upon the opaque, hawk-like visor that covered the man's face, the black cloak tha hugged his slim frame like a set of folded wings, giving him the air of a hawk posed to strike…or a bat who's wings had yet to unfurl.

"Greetings, o' champions of the Shinjuku slums." The figure greeted, pulling off a dramatic stage bow, one gloved hand covering his breast "I am glad we can meet here, face to face…"

The helmet came up, Kallen shivering as her features were reflected in that opaque visor like a mirror.

"I am Zero." The figure greeted, rising from the bow to stand before them, tall and proud, like a statue "And there is much we have to discuss…"

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And so the first meeting between Zero and the future Knights for Justice begins.

Will Lelouch inform them of the power of Geass? If so, how will he earn their trust?

Tune in next time to find out!

As Promised, here are two Omakes, provided by animefan29!

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Omake-1: Worth it.

It was a very familiar situation for Lelouch. Here he was, once again standing in the Club House's private bathroom, having just pulled off the trick to convince Kallen he hadn't been in Shinjuku, and just like before she had pulled the phone in a way so that the cord pulled the curtain aside.

And once again he brought up the fact that he could see her. Only this time he didn't say it with his head turned away, but with his face fully gazing upon her, a small smile on his lips.

This altered Kallen's reaction. Instead of drawing the curtain and huddling behind it, she did that which was more natural to her.

SLAP!!

Lelouch walked out of the bathroom, a red hand print on his face, stinging with pain. But as he remembered Kallen's shapely curves and lovely behind he could only think one thing.

'That was so worth it.'

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Omake -2: When Life gives you Oranges...

Subject: Omake 2

***Monday-Breakfast***

Lelouch walked into the kitchen so see Nunally eating a bowl of sliced oranges while Sayako prepared fresh-squeezed orange juice.

"Where did all the oranges come from?" He asked the maid.

"There was a basket of them on the doorstep this morning, and I hate to waste fresh fruit." Sayoko replied.

***Tuesday-Lunch***

"Hey Lelouch, that's a pretty large orange salad you've got there," commented Rivals.

"I know. There were two baskets of fresh oranges at the clubhouse door this morning and Sayako hates to waste fresh fruit."

***Wednesday-Dinner***

"Welcome home big brother," said Nunnally in greeting as Lelouch returned from his errands.

"Hello Nunnally," said Lelouch. Catching a familiar scent in the air Lelouch asked Nunnally a question, the answer of which he was afraid to hear. "Nunnally, what is Sayako preparing for dinner?"

"Orange duck, asparagus in orange sauce, bread with orange butter, and orange sorbet for dessert."

Lelouch groaned. "Where do these oranges keep coming from?"

XXXXXXX

In the government building the "awake" Jeremiah was making an important transaction. "So that will be another 10 bushels of oranges delivered over the next three days and twenty orange tree saplings given as gifts for the Ashford Academy gardens. Now I just have to get Pizza Hut to go through with their new orange pizza deal."

With the preparations complete a devilish smirk spread on his lips. "I'll play along with your games My Lord, and be Orange once more. But until I enter your service again I will make you so sick of oranges that you won't even be able to say it!"

The man laughed diabolically, until a thought struck him.

"Hmm, I wonder if I can get the Academy to change the color of their uniforms to orange?"

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Read and Review for more Geass excellence!

Zero: (Slide opens to reveal Geass) The Power of Geass Compels you!

C.C: Flames will be used to cook pizza.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the delay folks, but Code Geass is one Show I'm trying NOT to ruin. I'm simply that hooked.

That said, Suzaku and the Britannian's are dicks and I will do everything I can to Cockblock them in this fic, literally and figuratively.

Also, it has come to my Attention that Emperor Charles' Seiyuu also voices Vega(or M. Bison) from Street Fighter...Awesomesauce, if kinda ironic.

Bison DID say he'd kidnap a member of the British Monarchy once...

On with the show!

* * *

Chapter 4: Geass Unveiled.

It was an unusual sight that had gathered in the front car of the outbound monorail that evening, one almost worthy of a pantomime, or failing that, a 70's cartoon show.

At one end, stood two key members of the Tokyo resistance fighters, flanked by several other members that the leader, Ohgi, had brought along as back-up.

At the other end stood a figure dressed in a futuristic version of an opera suit, a blue and gold jumpsuit, black cloak and gloves, a white shirt with ruffled collar, and a hawk-like helmet that hid the man's face from view.

"I trust you enjoyed my little tour of the slums?" Zero asked, spreading his arms wide as the train exited the tunnel, revealing the contrasting images of the Britannian Settlement and the Tokyo Slums "I felt it would help shed perspective on the situation."

"Yeah, real informative." Ohgi muttered, his features decidedly un-amused as he glared up the carriage at their apparent benefactor "We already know that there's a difference between them and us, it's why we're fighting in the first place."

"Wrong." Zero opined, cutting the rebel leader off, raising a gloved finger to his face for emphasis "Britannia will not fall to wanton acts of terrorism, all you've achieved thus far is the equivalent of a gnat biting at the Emperor's hand."

"You calling us insects?!" one of the rebels demanded, moving forward as if to attack the masked figure, only for Ohgi to hold him back with an arm and a look, wanting to hear the man out first. For one thing there were too many witnesses.

"The emperor cares nothing for Japan, for any of the countries he's conquered." Zero continued, standing before the rebels without fear "No matter how many civilians you involve in your attacks, it will bring you nothing but hatred and revulsion."

"We don't like involving civilians in our fights." Ohgi muttered, his face showing honest discomfort at the very idea "but in all honesty, there's nothing we can do, Britannia's forces have the public right in their pocket."

"Your enemy is not the people," Zero informed the leader, earning a look of confusion from the japanese resistance leader as he swept his cloak aside dramatically "rather, it is the corrupt empire of Britannia itself!"

"What's the difference?" one of the rebels asked, sounding highly suspicious of this suit-clad freak before them, fingers itching to go for the switchblade all rebels kept about their person for close quarters fighting "Britannian's are the same regardless of statu!"

"The current state of affairs has come to pass because of the machinations of the Emperor," Zero informed them, the rebels blinking at the sheer venom and loathing in the man's tone at the mention of the Britannian Monarch "who's quest for power has led him to become corrupt in both mind and deed."

"So what?" Ohgi asked, the rebel leader looking a little confused, and rightfully so, holding up a hand to silence another outburst from the others as he narrowed his eyes at their masked benefactor in suspicion "What exactly are you saying?"

"Striking out at the people of the nation amounts to nothing more than terrorism, and unites them in their ostracizing of your people." Zero opined, causing the group to flinch, before extending an arm towards the group, as if to clutch their hands "Join with me, and together, we shall topple this corrupt Empire, and create a world where the weak need no longer feel oppressed by the strong."

"Hah! Big words!" another of the rebels scoffed, even as Ohgi tried to wrap his mind around what was being offered, it all seemed to big to be true "And just what can you do? You can't even show your face!"

"I hide my face for your own protection." Zero informed them, the group blinking at his words in confusion "For you see…without this mask, I cannot control the self same power that the emperor seeks to control."

"What're you talking about?" Kallen asked, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, as if static were racing through her spine "What power?"

"I had anticipated your skepticism…" Zero muttered, raising his other hand, which to this moment had remained hidden, to reveal a conductors microphone "which is why I've arranged for the passengers on the previous cars provide a demonstration."

"What did you do to them?!" Kallen demanded, the redhead moving to tackle the masked man, only to be grabbed from behind by one of the passengers from the previous car as they swarmed in like a flood.

"Hey what the hell?!" Ohgi yelled, struggling wildly against the two large men in conductor uniforms that were holding him down, one of which swiftly relieved him of his firearm "I knew it! You lured us here so you could-!"

"Stop, release them." Zero ordered, the group blinking as their assailants removed themselves from their persons "Now, all of you return to the previous car, act like nothing has happened."

"Yes…My lord…" the attackers muttered in tandem, the rebels looking on in awe as they filed out, watching in disbelief as they resumed their seats, gazing vacantly at the floor, several of them sporting broken noses or black eyes from their struggle, but looking as unconcerned about them as statues.

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"What…the…hell?" one of the rebels gaped, sitting up in confusion, walking over to one of their assailants and waving a hand in front of him "Hypnosis?" he asked, poking the man's face, getting no response at all "No, what the hell is this?"

"For the duration of their trip, everyone on this train has been ordered to ignore anything that happens." Zero informed them, the group looking at the man in confusion, eyes widening as they saw Ohgi's gun in his hand "Even if someone were to fire a weapon…"

He opened fire, shooting out the windows on his right hand side, Kallen covering her head with a yell, looking up and around as the shooting stopped, gaping at the sight of the unresponsive crowd behind her.

"They will not react." Zero finished, twirling the empty weapon so he was holding it by the barrel, the handle aimed at the floor "Such is the might of the power sought by the emperor of Britannia...the power of Geass."

"Geass?" Ohgi repeated, the stunned resistance leader looking up at Zero's masked face in confusion, and a little terror if he was honest with himself "You mean...the Emperor...has the power to do this to?!"

"Correct," Zero admitted, eliciting gasps of panic from the rebels, as they whispered amongst themselves "though his power is subtly different from my own." The masked man informed them, tapping his helmet as he spoke "My Geass requires direct eye contact for it to work, the emperor's is not so limited. Furthermore, I cannot control my Geass, whereas the emperor can activate his at will."

"So that's why you wear the helmet." Ohgi deduced, understanding dawning on his face, along with a stunned Kallen, as they put all the pieces together like the worlds biggest puzzle "if you didn't…!"

"Then the next words I say could place a Geass on anyone that met my eyes." Zero agreed, his tone grim "So if I were, hypothetically, to tell someone to 'take a hike', they wouldn't stop walking even if their feet began to bleed."

Kallen winced at that, suddenly not all that interested to see whoever it was under the mask. She couldn't even imagine having to live a life where the wrong word could cost someone their will, or life.

"However, this power is not without it's uses." Zero admitted, snapping the redhead out of her thoughts as he turned to face them once again "It made convincing Clovis to order a ceasefire much easier after all."

"So it WAS you that ordered the ceasefire." Ohgi noted, looking upon the masked man in understanding, his features calm, or at least calmer than he actually felt inside "You saved a lot of lives that day, us included."

"I couldn't have you dieing there." Zero informed him, walking towards the rebel leader, holding the empty firearm out to him "Methods aside, your aims and mine happen to coincide, you simply need to apply yourselves differently."

"It was you who killed Clovis, wasn't it?" Ohgi asked, hand paused in the act of accepting the handgun from the man "You used your Geass to make him order the ceasefire, then you killed him?"

"Clovis was no saint." Zero opined, his tone flat and to the point,though Ohgi thought he detected a hint of...regret, in that mdulated voice "I merely took the first step towards letting the empire know the game was afoot."

"And you set Kururugi up to take the fall?" Ohgi asked, his gaze hardening slightly at the tactic, though truth be told he had no more love for the 'Honorary Britannian' than most other 'Elevens', only to blink as Zero shook his head.

"That was the doing of one Jeremiah Gottwald, a member of Clovis' guard who is one of the foremost denouncers of the 'Honorary Britannian' system." The masked man revealed, several of the rebels muttering to themselves in recognition "No doubt he plans to use Kururugi as an example as to why the system should be abolished."

"And if that happens…" Kallen deduced, her eyes hardening in understanding, her teeth clenching in disgust "Then those citizens that were fortunate enough to earn the right to live in the settlement…"

"Will have their lives torn from them once again," Zero concluded, nodding his head at the redhead's deduction "either thrown back into the slums or executed for DARING to presume to be the equal of the 'noble' Britannian's."

"This is deep stuff boss." One of the rebels whispered in Ohgi's ear, his face a mask of awe and fear as he eyed Zero uncertainly, looking to Ohgi for further instruction "You think this guy's really legit?"

"After what I've seen I'm having a hard time questioning you." Ohgi muttered, speaking directly to Zero as he accepted his weapon, re-holstering it inside his jacket "However, I cannot trust you at face value."

"You wouldn't be much of a leader if you did." Zero assured him, his hand receding under his cloak "However, if you truly wish for proof, then I shall give it to you…"

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'That went well…' Lelouch noted, watching as the rebels disembarked from the train from the conductor's cabin, having slipped off after the meeting to change into his regular clothes 'I wonder how many will turn up this time? I only really need Ohgi and Kallen, but this will be a good test of how things have changed…'

Nodding to himself, Lelouch slipped into the crowd, noting with a sense of amusement that several of the disembarking passengers were looking rather confused, and in the case of those that had sustained injuries, frantic.

'With the security cameras offline it'll most likely be passed off as an equipment failure or riot.' The former emperor deduced, slipping his eye patch on as the station police rushed past to investigate the shot out glass, as well as break up a small riot, as two of the injured passengers had wrongfully accused one another for their condition 'And judging by those two, it should all pass over without incident.'

"Lelouch?" a familiar voice called out, the teen turning, cursing the blind spot presented by his eyepatch as he came face to face with a rather startled looking Kallen Stadtfeld "What are you doing here?"

"I usually come to the city when there aren't any classes." Lelouch replied, smiling guiltily as he held a finger to his lips "Don't tell Shirley, she gets REALLY angry whenever she find out I've gone out gambling."

"Gambling?" the redhead blinked, looking the slim figure before her up and down in abject disbelief, having never figured that a lazy, Britannian schoolboy would partake in such...dangerous activities "You?"

"I challenge members of the minor nobility to games of chess." Lelouch admitted, pulling out a wad of cash from his suitcase, smirking as Kallen's eyes widened at the sight of so much money "Normally Rivalz comes with me for the ride, but I ditched him today."

"O-oh…" Kallen stammered, tying to cover up her growing embarrassment with a cough, the redhead looking off to the side nervously with a smile "I...never would have expected the Vice-President to do something like this."

"You think I'm bad, wait till Milly makes you dress up in a cosplay outfit." Lelouch teased, grinning as Kallen's face went as red as her hair "She does it to everyone, it's like a hazing or something."

"You…you're kidding right?" Kallen asked, the resistance fighter looking highly uncertain of herself as she leant in to the teen's face in concern, whispering in case the President was lurking in the shadows, watching them "She wouldn't really…?"

"Last semester she arranged a 'cross-dresser's ball' and had Rivalz dress up as a cat girl." Lelouch informed her, chuckling at the redhead's look of revulsion "I managed to escape by taking Nunnally out to the park…I think she said something about a 'Maid café' the last time I saw her…"

"What have I gotten myself into?" the redhead moaned, slumping in exasperation, praying to all the kami that nobody from the resistance ever learned of this, only to blink as Lelouch held out a hand to her.

"Miss Stadtfeld," the one-eyed teen offered, smiling at the flustered redhead "Since we're here, would you care to join me for lunch?" his smile widened "You can tell me about that online game we were talking about before."

"Game…?" Kallen repeated, blinking up at him in confusion, her face turning a hot scarlet as she recalled how she'd covered up her slip in the shower, and how Lelouch had seen everything in the process.

"C'mon," Lelouch offered, taking the embarrassed girl's hand in his and leading her out of the station at a brisk walk "I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for pizza."

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'What's with this guy?' Kallen wondered, looking down at her hands in her lap as she sat in a private booth, Lelouch sitting across from her, looking over a menu 'Why can't I think straight around him?'

"Do you have any preferences, Miss Stadtfeld?" the one-eyed teen asked, startling the redhead out of her thoughts, smiling at her as she looked up at him "Or should I just order a plain Cheese?"

"Uh, yeah…" Kallen agreed, offering a polite, apologetic smile, internally berating herself for acting like a ditz in front of one of THEM "I'm not to good with spicy things, so plain cheese is good."

"Alright, we'll have one large Cheese." Lelouch ordered, nodding up at the waiter, who took the order with a nod, the one-eyed teen turning back to smile at her once again "Something to drink?"

"Um, a cola please? No lemon." Kallen asked, Lelouch nodding and ordering the same for himself, the two of them watching the waiter walk away, before Kallen worked up the nerve to pose the question "Hey…Lelouch?"

"Miss Stadtfeld?" the one-eyed teen asked, smiling politely at her, only to blink as he noticed her flinch "Is something the matter?" he asked, taking in the tense shoulders and the brief flash of distaste.

"Could…could you not call me by that name?" Kallen asked, grimacing slightly as she fought down the bile rising in the back of her throat, swalloing tightly "It...makes me feel like my step-mother."

"Ah, my apologies, Kallen." Lelouch offered, the one-eyed teen's half-lidded smile sending a shiver down the redhead's spine that, for the life of her, she couldn't understand "I didn't mean to offend."

"None taken." Kallen assured him, fighting down a flush, wondering what the hell was wrong with her as she spoke up, desperate to change the subject "So…how long have you been at Ashford Academy?"

"Several years now." Lelouch admitted, earning a look of surprise from Kallen, as she didn't recall seeing the Vice-President beofre a few days ago "Milly's grandfather took Nunnally and myself in after our mother passed away."

"Oh…I'm sorry." Kallen offered, mentally kicking herself for bringing up such a sore topic, albeit unintentionally. After all, she knew what it was like to loose familly, even if her mother was still alive, it wasn't like they were together as a familly anymore.

"Don't be, it happened when we were little kids." Lelouch assured her, his smile understanding "It was back when the invasion happened, Nunnally lost the use of her legs and sight in the same accident."

"So I guess even Britannian's suffered…" Kallen muttered, her tone low and her features grim, wondering if the innocent girl she remembered from the party had been crippled by Britannian or Japanese fire."

"It was a Britannian." Lelouch informed her, the redhead looking up in surprise to see the one-eyed teen's grim features looking down at his hands "my mother was a common Britannian citizen, but she was still killed by one of her own countrymen." He looked out the window with a scowl "People that place the innocent in the line of fire shouldn't be allowed power."

Kallen blinked, surprised at such a heartfelt statement coming from a Britannian, one hand reaching tentatively towards his, in an unusual show of sympathy.

"Here's your order!" the waiter called out, the redhead jumping, withdrawing her hand as if stung, face flushing "One large Deep-Dish Cheese for the happy couple."

Right then, as the words left the man's mouth, if Kallen's face had gotten any hotter, you could probably pick it out from outer space.

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"Where's Lelouch?" Rivalz asked, looking around in confusion from his perch atop the council table, waiting to see the convicted felon, Kururugi Suzaku, be led down the street for his court martial.

"He said he was getting his eye looked at and would be running late." Milly replied, concern for her friend as she turned her attention towards the screen "They're certainly making a spectacle of this."

"Duh! He killed Prince Clovis!" Rivalz pointed out, looking at the Ashford heir like she was crazy "Who wouldn't play this up, an honorary Britannian raising his hand to the nobility? I'm surprised the Emperor isn't here himself."

'The Emperor wouldn't care one way or the other.' Milly muttered darkly to herself, knowing all to well from her family's fall from grace how little concern the Emperor had for his immediate family, let alone his 'loyal' subjects.

"There he is!" Shirley gasped, pointing at the screen as Suzaku, shackled and held a gunpoint, was led through the jeering crowd on a transport "Wow…he doesn't look any older than us…"

"Hey…why're they stopping?" Rivalz wondered, blinking as the convoy came to a halt, only to blink as another transport rolled on screen "Hey…Isn't that Prince Clovis' car?!"

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"You dare desecrate his highness' transport?" Jeremiah demanded, the Pureblood Margrave glaring at the offending vehicle in question, speaking into the microphone, so as to carry his voice to the masses "Come out of there!"

Flames erupted at the base of the Brittanian flag, the symbol of the empire burning away rapidly to reveal a masked, cloaked figure standing behind it, like a giant bat. "I am…Zero." The masked man greeted, his tone carrying over the airwaves, despite it being a closed circuit "Good evening, Dog of Britannia."

"You have some nerve." Jeremiah noted, his lip curling in a disgusted sneer, firing his handgun, signaling four Sutherlands to drop from the aerial transport to surround the vehicle "Why don't you take off that mask."

Zero said nothing, merely raising a hand in the air, snapping his fingers with a flourish, the fake transport falling apart to reveal...

'The poison gas container?!' Jeremiah gaped, staring at the fully restored tank that had, unbeknownst to anyone save Bartley and the late Clovis, C.C, clenching his teeth, even as Villetta warned him to be careful 'That bastard…he's taken every Britannian here hostage…and he's done it without them knowing it!'

"Do you intend to shoot me?" Zero taunted, seemingly unthreatened by Jeremiah leveling a gun at his face, if anything, he sounded amused "I think you know full well what will happen if you hit this thing behind me."

"Tch, Fine!" Jeremiah cursed, the Margrave lowering the handgun with a resigned growl, wishing to high heaven he could simply pull the trigger, motioning for his men to hold their fire as he inclined his head towards the terrorist "What are your demands?"

"A simple exchange." Zero replied, the masked Vigilante inclining his head towards the transport, where a confused Suzaku was looking at him, held tight in his restraints between two armed guards "This canister, for Kururugi Suzaku."

"Like hell!" Jeremiah growled, the Margrave and Knightmare pilot glaring over his shoulder at the 'convicted' felon, pointing at him with his firearm "He's convicted of high treason for murdering a prince, I can't hand him over!"

"That is where you are mistaken, Jeremiah." Zero called out, the masked Vigilante's tone laced with dark humor as he stood before the crowd "I take little pleasure in having others take the fall for my own actions."

"Your own…?!" Jeremiah repeated, his eyes widening as the full meaning of the terroists words became clear, several members of the crowd, those close enough to hear the exchange, muttering amongst themselves with looks of surprise "You mean-?!"

"Indeed." Zero admitted, one hand rising from beneath his cloak, the Vigilante pulling off a stage bow, his helmeted face never leaving Jeremiah's eyes "The man who murdered your Precious Prince Clovis…was MYSELF!"

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The shocked outcries from the assembled masses was almost chaotic, the public recoiling from this bold faced admission, shocked and stunned at how this terrorist could act so brazen, when facing down several military Sutherlands on foot.

"Not that I take any pride in it of course." Zero assured the masses, rising from his bow to stand before the trembling, from rage rather than fear, Jeremiah "He was so pitiful, begging for his life even after I'd forced him to order a cease fire."

"You bastard!" Jeremiah snarled, the Margrave pointing his gun at the man's head, along with several of the Sutherland troops, only to flinch as Zero, calm as could be, held up what was clearly a detonator "Coward!"

"Strategist, actually." Zero countered, his tone mocking, even as the public began to eye him with trepidation "For the life of one eleven, you can save the lives of countless precious Britannians…" he inclined his head smugly "I'd consider THAT to be a bargain, wouldn't you?"

"He's insane!" Jeremiah snapped, glaring down at the figure before him in outrage at being cornered like a rat "Desecrating his highness' memory!" he snarled, preparing to pull the trigger "You'll pay the price for mocking the crown!"

"So predictable." Zero taunted, his masked visage hidden, even as the Sutherlands readied their weapons, bringing them to bear on him "I'm certain a devout servant such as yourself wouldn't care to have then public learn about 'Orange'."

Jeremiah blinked, looking on in confusion as the transport moved , bringing the enigmatic Zero closer to Jeremiah's frame. "If I die, everything about 'Orange' will be made public," the masked man warned "only you can save Clovis' memory from being dragged through the mud."

"What the devil are you talking about?!" Jeremiah demanded, his face a mask of abject confusion, only to blink as a section of Zero's helmet opened, revealing a glowing purple eye that seemed to burn into his soul.

"Now…Release Kururugi," Zero demanded, his voice echoing in the man's brain, overridding all other thoughts, his words carrying the same weight as a commandment from God "And you are to do everything in your power to let us go."

"…Understood!" Jeremiah agreed, turning round and ordering the release of a stunned Suzaku, barking down the protests of his men "Send him over! Nobody gets in his way!"

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Suzaku, who honestly had no idea what was going on, walked slowly off the transport to meet Zero and his driver, who were walking towards him at a sedate pace. He opened his mouth to speak, only to pause as Zero's hand came up, touching first the silencing collar around his neck, before cupping his cheek.

"As I thought…" the masked man muttered, his voice carrying over the airwaves to the protesting public "They didn't even allow you to talk…they pegged you as the murderer without listening to a word…typical Britannian corruption."

"Who…?" Suzaku began, only to flinch as the collar he was wearing shocked him for talking, the Honorary Britannian blinking as Zero pulled him close, his head resting against the masked man's chest in a surprisingly gentle embrace.

"Save your strength." Zero ordered, holding the convicted Soldier tight, before leaping off the bridge, his escort alongside him, Suzaku's eyes widening as gunfire broke out, the Geass controlled Jeremiah attacking his own subordinates to keep them from interfering.

'Who is this guy?' the teen wondered, looking up into the face of his rescuer with a look of confusion 'he pulled all that off…without firing a single shot!'

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And I'll just leave off there for now!

What will happen next time? And What reprecussions will come of this altered first encounter?

OMAKE TIME!

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Omake by Animefan29  
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"I don't know about the these security cameras Shirley," said Kallen. "Isn't this an invasion of privacy?"

"It's fine Kallen," assured Shirley as she continued to monitor a series of screens that showed images from the girls dorm. "None of the female students feel safe knowing that the Underwear Thief is out there. This pervert must be stopped. Besides none of the students should be in there at this time of day."

"Well..."

"Shh, shh. We're getting something." Said Shirley excitedly.

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_Inside Shirley's room..._

_The window of one of the dorm rooms was lifted from the outside, and in bound one vary familiar blond haired female student council president, a handkerchief tied around her head as a mask and a large sack on her back. She made a direct beeline for the dresser._

"What a haul! Look at all the lovely darlings," cooed Milly as she started pulling underwear from the drawer and stuffing it in her bag. She paused as she picked up a matching bra and panty set. "You are indeed a 10 Shirley. Too bad you only have eyes for Lelouch."

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"She's In My Room!?" Shirley shouted in horror at the very moment Lelouch entered the room.

"Whose in your room," he asked innocently enough.

Shirley turned to see her crush trying to see over her shoulder. She could only do one thing. She pulled out Mallet-sama, "Pervert!" and sent Lelouch flying.

Kallen watched the exchange wondered how she could use this to make a profit. She paused and blinked, 'Where had that thought come from?'

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Emperor Charles: ARRL HAAIRU REVIEWWWS!!!!!

Lelouch: For once we agree on something.

Read and Reivew or Charles will 'PSYCHO CRUSHA!' your house!

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

As Some of you might have guessed, I'm under the compulsion of a Geass-Fic streak.

Do not attempt to undermine it, or FF-sama will be angry.

CC: I feel slighted.

Lelouch: Deal with it, witch, or no pizza.

CC: I'll be good.

* * *

Chapter Five: Cornelia and Euphemia.

"Did you see that?!" Rivalz exclaimed, the blue haired schoolboy sounding oddly excited despite the scandal that had just occurred live on international television "That Zero guy's something else!"

"Do you really think he killed Prince Clovis?" Nina wondered, the xenophobic girl sounding terrified at the very idea as she watched the riot unfold as Lord Jeremiah did everything he could to let the convicts escape, despite the bids of his men to see reason.

"If that's the case…" Shirley wondered, looking at the screen in abject confusion as the camera zoomed in on Zero holding the rescued Suzaku "why didn't he just let that 'Eleven' take the blame?"

"Oh I can think of a reason why…" Milly noted, her tone suggestive as she hugged herself, a coy smile on her lips "Didn't you see the way he embraced Kururugi on the bridge? The way he cupped his cheek?" She sighed, twisting as she hugged herself "Ah the lengths one goes to protect their lover…"

"MADAM PRESIDENT!" Shirley yelped, her face blushing as Rivalz turned a sickening shade of green, poor Nina fainting dead away as the secretary tossed his cookies "You have to stop saying thing's like that!"

In the abandoned warehouse, Lelouch, still wearing his Zero mask, and Suzaku both sneezed, muttering a prayer against evil spirits, as the latter went to turn himself back over to the authorities, though he left on better terms than he had the first time he'd met Zero.

After making their escape, Zero had Ohgi meet up with them at the Shinjuku ghetto, where the other rebels had gathered to congratulate them on their rescue. Some of them, notably Tamaki, were questioning Zero's methods, whereas others were making suggestions about having Suzaku join up with them.

Zero, surprisingly, informed them that he didn't rescue the warrant office to make him enlist with them, something that surprised more than a few, most notably Suzaku, before leading the pilot into the back of the ruined warehouse to speak in private.

"Kururugi." Lelouch called out, pausing the teen in his tracks, lights glinting off the Zero mask on his head "Despite my words back there, I would make it clear that any offer to join me is an open one." He held his hand out to the brown haired teen "My opponent is the corruption that holds Britannia, not the people it affects, surely you can see the reason in fighting against it?"

"I cannot approve of terrorism." Suzaku insisted, the honorary Britannian looking back at the man who saved him with a neutral expression "However, if there truly is corruption, then I'll fight it from within."

"Then Godspeed, Kururugi Suzaku." Lelouch offered, smiling sadly at his friends self-sacrificing attitude "But know this, should you ever require my help…"

Suzaku nodded, offering a slight bow to the man, before walking back towards the city, to face both the tribunal, and his peers.

"You sure we should just let him go?" Kallen asked, the redhead coming out of the shadows from where she had been hiding, listening to the coversation "I mean, he might report us to the authorities."

"There wasn't enough light for him to discern anyone's features." Lelouch, or rather, Zero assured the girl, watching Kururugi go from atop the rubble "And besides, in that get-up he'd be hard placed to identify you."

"True…" Kallen admitted, looking unconvinced as she slipped out of the chauffeurs jacket to reveal her usual rebel outfit underneath, sighing in relief as she dropped the stuffy uniform to the floor "Man this thing's stifling…"

"It suited you though." Zero noted, Kallen looking up at the masked revolutionary in confusion "You look wonderful in a uniform."

"Q-Quit it!" Kallen stammered, turning her head to the side in embarrassment to hide her glowing flush "I only put it on 'cause you told me to! Ohgi could've-!"

"You were the only one that would have fit in the chauffeurs uniform." Zero corrected her, nodding towards the white jacket and pants "Clovis was VERY particular that his personal chauffeur be a woman."

"Sexist pig…" Kallen muttered, hoping that wherever the prince was, he was suffering, only to blink as Zero swooped down, touching down before her in a crouch, before rising and placing a hand on her cheek.

"You did very well today, Kallen." The revolutionary applauded, approval in his tone, Kallen's shocked features reflecting on his mask "I knew having you with me was the best decision."

Kallen blushed and looked away, mortified beyond belief, only for Zero to turn, cloak billowing dramatically, and walk off into the night.

"Get your rest, Kallen." The Revolutionary ordered, vanishing into the shadows like something out of a dream "The battle has only just begun."

While all this was going on, a battle of a different sort was winding to a close in what remained of the middle-east.

Witch of Britannia and 2nd princess of the empire, Cornelia Li Britannia, nodded in approval as she stood amongst the flaming ruins of the last rebel stronghold, her men having thoroughly disposed of their imitation Knightmare frames.

"Milady," Andreas Dalton asked, the scarred knight's respectful features solemn as they appeared over her communicator, the Knight flanking her along with his partner "About our next course of action."

"Right," Cornelia muttered, the purple haired princess sighing apologetically at her trusty servant, an small smile on her face as she tilted her head "sorry to have you clean up after my Younger brother."

"Not at all your highness," the man assured her reverently, offering a small bow over the monitor, looking up at his lady with reverence and respect "Your duty is clear, and our place is with you."

"Good to know." Cornelia admitted, a smile touching her purple lips as she inclined her head at Dalton's sign of loyalty, not that it was ever in question "Do you think Area 11 requires our usual treatment?"

"But of course, Milady."

Cornelia nodded, a scowl marring her regal features as she recalled the recording from the international broadcast, where her brother's killer had played them all like fools.

'I'll drive you out into the open…Zero!'

"You're tense." C.C noted, the immortal witch lying with her breasts pressed against Lelouch's back as he rested, her cool hands tracing the contours of his spine "Things not going to plan?"

"On the contrary." Lelouch noted, smiling tiredly as he lay beneath the sheets, naked from the waist up "It's going exactly according to schedule. Cornelia and her forces should be arriving any day now."

"Euphemia too." C.C noted, frowning as Lelouch flinched, her fingers sensing as his back muscles tightened at the mention of his step-sister, who he'd unwillingly murdered in his previous life, to cover up his own mistake "It wasn't your fault."

"I won't make the same mistake twice." Lelouch vowed, his eyes hardening as he sat up in bed, the former emperor covering his permanent Geass with a scowl as he spoke "Never again."

C.C nodded, understanding the reason for Lelouch's discomfort, before sitting up and embracing him from behind "By the way, doesn't Suzaku enroll here tomorrow?"

"Indeed." Lelouch noted, his scowl replaced with a smirk as he recalled how the honorary Britannian's arrival had sparked discomfort with the sheltered Ashford students "I'll have to remember the cover story."

"You eye was injured during the Shinjuku incident." C.C recited, the immortal witch shaking her head with a bemused smile at the sheer...simplicity of it all "Pretty simple for a strategist like you."

"Sometimes the simple approach is the better one." Lelouch noted, "Plus, it ties in with the story I told Rivalz and the others earlier."

Kururugi Suzaku sighed as he walked down the corridors of the prestigious Ashford Academy, a school reserved solely for the 'privileged' offspring of Britannia. To his knowledge, he was the first 'Eleven' to ever enroll here, and judging from the reactions he was getting from his peers, they weren't to happy about it.

Of course, being recently acquitted of the charges of murdering a prince did nothing about the scandal itself. Rumors like that tended to stick, regardless of WHAT the media tried.

'Like that Zero guy…' the pilot muttered, frowning as he recalled the masked, charismatic man that had swooped in, taken the crowd hostage without their knowledge, and claimed responsibility for Clovis' death before the world 'What could he have possibly gained from rescuing me?'

That was something that to this minute, bugged the living hell out of Suzaku. He'd never aligned himself with any of the Japanese resistance cells, hell he'd been disowned from his family because of it, so why did this obvious revolutionary rescue him? Was he an emissary from the Kururugi family?

'One thing's for certain.' The liberated pilot noted, a slight blush coming to his cheeks as he recalled his odd encounter the other day 'I wouldn't have met Princess Euphemia if it weren't for him.'

"Lelouch!" a blue haired teen greeted, Suzaku looking up in surprise, his eyes widening at the sight of his childhood friend chatting with said teen, the honorary Britannian's gaze flicking temporarily to the medical patch over his friend's eye.

'Did he get that during the incident with the girl?' he wondered, a wave of guilt washing over him, recalling how he'd been unable to protect his friend back in the ghetto 'And that girl…does he know where she-?!'

Lelouch turned, their eyes meeting for a second, warm green gazing into charismatic purple, before the dark haired teen turned, tugging at his collar as he walked out the door.

'That's-!' Suzaku gaped, waiting a few seconds before making his way out of the class, following the clearly marked signs towards the roof, where a smiling Lelouch awaited him.

"It's been seven years since we used this signal." Lelouch noted fondly, leaning against the railing, tugging at the collar of his jacket for emphasis, as a solemn faced Suzaku walked up to him "Long time no see."

"Yeah." Suzaku agreed with a gentle smile, only to flinch as his eyes flicked of their own accord towards the medical patch on Lelouch's left eye "Did that…" he began, trailing off, not knowing how best to broach the topic.

"Hmm? Oh…" Lelouch muttered raising a hand to his face "I injured my eye getting out of the ghetto, fortunately the rebels weren't after civilians and got me out before the fighting went down."

"The rebels helped you?" Suzaku exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise, as thus far he'd never heard of rebels helping Britannian citizens with anything, except maybe burial detail "They didn't know about…?"

"I doubt I'd have made it out of there alive if they did." Lelouch assured him honestly, Suzaku having been one of the select few, outside the Ashfords, to know he was in fact a prince of the empire in this lifetime "They certainly gave Clovis what for."

"I'm sorry." Suzaku offered, his face growing solemn once again as he looked upon the deposed prince sadly, unable to imagine what the teen had to be going through right now "I know it must be hard…"

"Not really." Lelouch muttered, earning a look of surprise from his friend "I told you years ago, I HATE my family and what they've become. Clovis was a coward and a bully, high on his rank and prestige and drunk on power." He looked out over the campus, his gaze lidded "The world's better off without him."

"How can you say that? He was your flesh and blood!" Suzaku explained, planting himself before the teen with a look of disbelief, his arms spread wide "You may have had your differences-!"

"They covered up my mother's MURDER, Suzaku." Lelouch pointed out, cutting the teen off in mid-rant "Swept it under the carpet with nary a thought. Clovis may not have pulled the trigger, but I'll bet by life he was in on it." He sighed dramatically "It's moot now…how're your injuries?"

"Huh? Oh!" Suzaku exclaimed, recalling how he'd been shot in the back "It's nothing," he assured the teen, "say what you will, Britannian medical science is the best." His face turned solemn "On the subject, what about the girl?"

"She went with the rebels." Lelouch informed him, knowing that if Suzaku DID bump into C.C, it'd most likely be in the company of Zero "Apparently they rescued her from some experiment Clovis' scientists were putting her through."

"Prince Clovis?" Suzaku exclaimed, the Honorary Britannian and pilot of the experimental Lancelot looking stunned at this unexpected revelation "But…surely he wouldn't…something like that…"

"Britannia isn't the nation you think it is, Suzaku." Lelouch muttered, putting on a jaded expression as he leant against the railing "I know first hand…they'll do anything to get what they want." He looked the teen over "Are you still in the military?"

"Yes." Suzaku admitted, his stance and features firming as he stood straighter, as if challenging his childhood friend to question his decision "I really think I can make a difference from the inside."

"Be careful." Lelouch warned him, his visible eye narrowing for emphasis as he looked into his friend's green ones, features dour "you've seen how dirty these people play…I don't want Nunnally to cry again."

"Nunnally…" Suzaku whispered, the Honorary Britannian recalling the gentle, blinded girl that he and Lelouch had doted on in the past, looking up at her elder brother in concern "How is she?"

"Missing you." Lelouch admitted, smiling at the green eyed teen as he spoke "C'mon, I think it'd do her good to see you again."

Euphemia sighed, looking up at the numerous paintings that her late brother, Clovis, had painted during the course of his tenure as Viceroy of Area 11, or Japan she mentally corrected herself.

Unlike most of the royals, Euphemia was an oddity in that she refused to refer to the colonies by their numbers, instead making it a point to refer to them, and the locals, by their original nationality. She believed it was the least she could do to maintain their humanity.

'Clovis…' she murmured, sighing sadly as she recalled her pompous, flamboyant, but nonetheless loving elder brother. The Royal family might have their faults, but there was a degree of love and affection between them that spoke of loyalty, at least as far as the princes and princesses were concerned.

The less said about Charles, the emperor, and his distant approach to parenting the better.

Her eyes happened upon one picture in particular, that of the Emperor's fifth wife, and her two children, her Step-siblings that had been lost during the initial phases of the colonization of Japan. One of the reasons Clovis had transferred here was because he wanted to look for traces of the two, for disgraced or not, blood was blood.

'And now he's gone…' the pink haired princess murmured, a hand going to her heart as she gazed up at the smiling faces of her step-brother and sister, "Lelouch…Nunnally…"

"Arthur…" Lelouch muttered, smirking as he held the struggling cat up by it's collar, removing his purloined Zero Helmet in the process "I don't think we need you raising hell like last time." He shot C.C a look "Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"I didn't last time and it worked out alright." C.C pointed out, smiling around a mouthful of pizza as Zero let the feline go, the cat racing off round the corner "It certainly helped to put Suzaku in everyone's good graces."

"I can handle that just fine without embarrassing myself in public." Lelouch muttered, recalling how the masked feline had led him on a merry chase around campus, forcing him to use his Geass on anyone that grew suspicious "I've already arranged for Milly to have a 'welcoming party' thrown for him."

"How'd you arrange that?" C.C asked, quirking an eyebrow as she detected the faint scent of perfume on the air.

"It seems the President really DOES have a thing for eye-patches." Lelouch chuckled, recalling how he'd left the grinning, flushed woman leaning against a window, fixing her blazer buttons "I suggested a 'pirate theme' costume ball and she snapped it up."

"Planning to run off with a wench or two?" C.C teased, smirking up at the former emperor in coy amusement as she reclined against his sofa, Pizza in hand like a cocktail "Kaguya would certainly approve…"

"She always claimed she had no problems with me being 'manly' with other women." Lelouch snorted, rifling through his closet for his pre-prepared costume "What can be manlier than a pirate?"

"A Toga party?" C.C suggested, smirking as Lelouch gaped at her in shock "Mmm yes…I'd like that…all those limer teenage boys in scantily revealing silk towels..."

"Witch."

Kallen grimaced, wondering once again why she'd allowed herself to be roped into this as she marched around, dressed up like some sort of 'Black Kat' wannabe, feeling distinctly out of place with her ruffled shirt, breeches and jauntily posed tri-point hat. Bad enough the shirt had apparently been tailored to fit, but the fact the breeches hugged her hips made her REALLY insecure. Just how had the Council President gotten a hold of her measurements?

"Hello, Kallen." A familiar voice greeted, the redhead whipping round to gape at the sight of Lelouch, decked out in an outfit that looked like something out of a swashbuckler movie. He even had a novelty parrot on his shoulder "You look great."

"T-thanks…" Kallen stammered, trying VERY hard not to look at the vice-president's shirt, which was open at the collar, giving her a pretty good look at his oh-so tasty neckline "What's with the parrot?"

"Oh, Nunnally thought it was cute." Lelouch admitted with a chuckle, tickling under the thing's beak, Kallen's eyes widening as she realized it was moving "It belongs to the drama society though, so I have to give it back."

"Rawk! Pieces of eight!" the feathery automaton squawked, it's voice a passable recording, but not much else "Rawk! Gimme me booty! PEEWEE!"

"Cheeky little thing…" Milly noted with approval, the class president sauntering up in a bodice blouse and leggings that drew everyone's stares, straight or otherwise "Good going First-Mate Lelouch."

"Couldn't let you down, could I Cap'n?" the patch-sporting vice-president smiled, causing the Ashford air to flush slightly as he offered her a saucy wink "This part WAS my suggestion after all."

"Lelouch!" Rivalz greeted, swooping in on the gathering, dressed in a 'Sinbad' motif, complete with red bandanna over his head and a scimitar tucked into his waist-sash "Great party! This is so much better than the cross-dresser's ball!"

"The WHAT?!" Kallen stammered, the redhead looking around at the assembled group in alarm, wondering, or perhaps it was more accurate to say praying, that she'd somehow heard the secretary wrong.

"It was kind of fun actually." Shirley admitted, walking up to the group in a ruffled coat and breeches, looking embarrassed even as she said it, "they guys all wore ball gowns and stuff from old movies and the girls wore tuxes.

"Lelouch was the bell of the ball." Milly teased, winking suggestively at her long-time friend and vice president as Kallen gaped at him in astonishment "Why he looked absolutely perfect in that gown we made for him."

"I'd rather not say." Lelouch chuckled, winking coyly at the flushing Kallen, before turning his attention to Milly and Shirley "Though YOU two cleaned up nicely, I don't think I've seen anyone look so desirable in a pair of pants before."

Shirley stammered something incomprehensible, while the Milly smirked, the shameless Ashford giving her friend a stage bow, while the orangette leant on a startled Nina, the bespectacled girl decked out like a cabin boy.

"Lelouch!" Nunnally greeted, the blind angel rolling up to themin her mpotoized chair, decked out in a lovely gown that reminded a fair few of Keira Knightly's character "Look who I found!"

"Suzaku! Glad you could make it." Lelouch greeted, the elder Lamperouge smiling at the nervous brunette, who was fidgeting with the collar of his Royal Navy uniform, looking disticnly uncomfortable "You look good."

"I think there's something in the jacket." Suzaku muttered, the Honorary Britannian fidgeting nervously as he tried to adjust the collar of his ruffled shirt without wrinkling it "It keeps hitching up in the back."

"Sorry," Milly offered, though truth be told she didn't sounding very apologetic at all, if anything she looked like she planned this "You and Lelouch looked about the same size, I didn't think your shoulders would be broader."

"It's not like you to make mistakes, madam president." Lelouch opined, filing away the comment for later use, as he'd always been a little jealous of Suzaku's superior physical condition, smiling coyly up at the confused blonde "And are you saying I'm…deficient? Why I might have to have a few words with you about that."

'Lelouch's really changed over the years.' Was Suzaku's only thought, as he watched the formerly sheltered boy flirt with the older teen.

Unbeknownst to Suzaku, two pairs of eyes were watching the obvious act of flirting with hints of anger and jealousy, part of them wanting to stop it, the rest wishing it was THEM the surprisingly bold teen was chatting up.

"Sister." Euphemia greeted, the pink haired princess smiling gently as her elder sister walked towards her, flanked by her knights, her spiked, shell-like mantle adorning her shoulders like a crown "How was the trip?"

"Uneventful." Cornelia shrugged, the elder princess smiling at the pinkette as they drew closer, coming to a halt with a mock-serious frown "And I thought I told you to refer to me as Viceroy while we're in public."

"Sorry." Euphemia giggled, knowing that her sister wasn't used to acts of affection in front of her men. Even Dalton, her most trusted Knight, had never seen the 'Witch of Britannia' let her guard down fully.

"In any case, we won't have time to reminisce for a while." Cornelia explained, her eyes turning hard as she glared out at the city behind them "I'm going to be busy dragging Zero out from hiding!"

Euphemia winced, one part of her, the part that hurt from losing Clovis, fully supporting her sisters desire to bring his killer to justice. The other, the part that hated violence regardless of the results and needs, wishing that there was a better way to go about things.

'Zero…' she murmured, recalling the masked vigilante that had sparked such an upheaval in her family, as no one had ever dared oppose Britannia in such a fashion 'What are you trying to achieve?'

And so the Goddess of Victory and the Princess of Peace arrive on the scene.

How will Lelouch approach the situation, armed with his memories of the future, and the tragedies that await?

Will the Massacre Princess rise again? Or has the Demon Emperor yet another hand to play?

Tune in next time to find out.

You-All-Knew-This-Was-coming-OMAKE

Kallen grimaced, wondering once again why she'd allowed herself to be roped into this as she marched around, dressed up like some sort of 'Black Kat' wannabe, feeling distinctly out of place with her ruffled shirt, breeches and jauntily posed tri-point hat. Bad enough the shirt had apparently been tailored to fit, but the fact the breeches hugged her hips made her REALLY insecure. Just how had the Council President gotten a hold of her measurements?

Of course, that paled in comparison to the sheer lengths to which the Student council had gone to make this 'Pirate Theme' welcome party go off without a hitch.

Addmittedly, she'd thought the giant, rennovated galleon that the Class President had chartered for the occasion was badass, almost regal with it's dark, oaken hull and sails, like a deposed queen. And the waiters were something else, they'd even coloured their teeth and dirtied themselves up to give them that scurvy, weeks without bathing look, though that weird one that kept losing his glass eye had been kind of disturbing, Kallen actually having to pluck the thin out of her drink once.

"Kallen!" a voice called out, the Redhead looking over the side, her eyes bulging out of her head as she espied Lelouch, dressed up in an outfit from a swashbuckler movie, riding up to the ship with Nunnally atop a pair of sea turtles, the girl giggling as she dipped her toes in the water "Want a ride?"

"Did someone spike the punch?" the redhead muttered, looking suspiciously at her tankard, they'd even used authentic tin ones instead of glasses, before shooting a suspicious glare towards the bald waiter that had greeted her as 'poppet' when she'd handed in her inviation, the man trying to look innocent as he tucked a bottle of rum he'd been pouring into the punch behind his back, the 'Captain' of the chartered vessel, who'd been camping out in front of it, pausing in his quaffing of the drink to step subtly in front of the bowl, as if to shield it from the redhead.

R&R or Kallen will burn the rum!

Jack: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! WHY ALWAYS THE RUM!

No watered down alcoholic beverages were harmed in the making of the omake.

Jack: Oh thank god...

Unless you don't review.

Jack:...(Finger motions...like a bird...)Right...I'll get on that...(Scarpers)

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Sketch ol' buddy, I think it's time we took the game to the next level.

Lelouch: You mean?

Kyugan: It's time to mind F!ck britannia! Kyugan style!

Kallen: Weren't you stabbed with a Q-tip?

Kyugan: Weren't you in a Bunny suit? *CRUNCH* GUHAAAAAA-!

C.C: *Sighing as Kallen stands over Kyugan with a bloody, spiked baseball bat* He never learns, does he?

* * *

Chapter Six: Cornelia's Gauntlet.

"The Saitima Ghetto is now completely surrounded." Dalton reported, looking up from the map screen, where their forces were moving according to instruction "The Yamato Alliance's headquarters is located somewhere in here." He turned to face Cornelia, sitting back in the commander's chair "Half of the people in this neighborhood are cooperating with them, so if we proceed now…"

"What will be the effect on production?" Cornelia asked, wanting to weigh the possible losses accrued against the gains of the operation, nodding as Dalton assured them production would only drop by 0.2 percent, well within expectations.

"Alright." The purple haired beauty noted, turning her head to the side to regard the assembled entourage that had been present when Clovis had been murdered "All of you participated in the Shinjuku disaster, correct?"

"Yes." The apparent leader of the group agreed, standing with his hand over his breast as he bowed at the late Viceroy's elder sister "And we're grateful to you, Princess Cornelia, for your mercy on-!"

"That's not what I'm asking." Cornelia cut in, her tone making it clear she could care LESS about the man's gratitude as she turned to face the screen with a smile "Do you think the conditions here are similar? To Shinjuku I mean?"

* * *

"Well now, nice to see Cornelia's still as calculating as ever…" Lelouch muttered, the former demon emperor shutting down his laptop, having caught the tail end of the news report which was broadcasting his sister's move.

"Are you going to accept her challenge again?" C.C asked, reclining on the bed, wearing only an oversized T-Shirt she'd one from Pizza Hut, with 'Cheese-kun' on the front "It worked out so well last time."

"That's because I foolishly believed that all Britannian strategists were as dismal as Clovis." Lelouch scoffed "I'd forgotten that my brother liked to surround himself with like minded fools, which is why all the nobles in this city couldn't play a game of chess to save their lives."

"Cornelia, on the other hand, is a warrior." C.C agreed, recalling the numerous occasions where the purple haired tactician had driven Lelouch to bursts of anger "And with Suzaku backing her up…"

"A most deadly pair indeed." Lelouch agreed, the teen standing up with a small smile as he grabbed the attache case containing his Zero outfit "The Lancelot and her own Gloucester's make for formidable foes."

"Not that Zero is any less formidable." C.C opined, the immortal witch kicking her legs lazily in the air, a whimsical smile on her face as she turned to face her contractor "Will you be needing my help?"

"I can't very well command the troops AND provide my audience with a performance can I?" Lelouch chuckled wryly, unfurling the collapsible Zero helmet with a flourish "Besides…you DO look good in the uniform."

"And I'm much more agile than you too." C.C commented, smirking as Lelouch glared at her for the comment "What? Can YOU perform a backwards Swan Dive into a sewer and survive?"

"Braggart."

* * *

While all this was going on, Shirley and Kallen were setting up a kitty-pen in the Student Council room, a recent purchase that had been obtained for Arthur, the loveable stray that had somehow wormed it's way into their lives.

"Hey…Shirley…" Kallen asked, the redheaded half-britannian rifling through the box before her, which was filled with assorted kitty treats that Milly had ordered specially "What kind of person is Lelouch?"

"E-eh?" the orange haired girl stammered, looking up from tickling a pleased Arthur's chin to gape at the redhead, as if she'd suddenly sprouted a set of wings "You want to know about Lulu?"

"Well…yeah." Kallen stated, trying not to look the taller girl in the eye, feeling self conscious as it was "I mean, I'm the new one here right? And it seems strange not to know him, despite being in most of his classes…"

"Well…" Shirley began, a little self-conscious at the redhead's interest in her long-time crush "Lulu's…Lulu I suppose. He isn't really the athletic type, but he more than makes up for it in how he organizes things." She giggled "I hear, before Lelouch signed up as Vice-President, Milly used to run the council into the ground."

"Was it these lips that said such words?" a dark voice asked, Milly rising up behind the startled girl, tickling her flank and occasionally copping a feel as the girl writhed "Hmm…you really HAVE been filling out nicely…"

"MADAM PRESIDENT!" Shirley squealed, escaping from the blonde's wandering hands and hiding behind a shocked Kallen, who didn't appreciate being used as a himan shield, no sir "I've asked you not to do that!"

"But you're just so adorable!" Milly teased, the busty council president hugging herself as she sighed "And you were saying such mean things too…" she smiled at the two "So anyways, what's this about Lelouch?"

"Ah that's right!" Shirley exclaimed, the orangette patting her hand with her fist as her eyes lit up excitedly "Your family's looking after them, right? Madam president! You must know Lelouch better than anyone."

"Sorry," Milly lied, smiling at the duo from beneath her eyelids as she leant against the wall, her arms crossed beneath her breasts "My lips are sealed on the matter…" she tugged at her blouse suggestively, her eyes half lidded "unless you'd like to pry them open?"

"No thanks!" Kallen stammered, once again thrown for a loop at how…daring, her blonde sempai could be. She'd expected a member of the Britannian nobility to be so stiff and formal you could support walls with them. She'd never encountered anyone as daring as Milly Ashford before.

It was at that moment that Suzaku walked in, cat-tail in hand, humming a silly tune to himself only to pause as he eyed the girls looking at him "uh…hello?"

"Oh! That's right!" Milly noted, a suggestive smile on her face as she rounded on the suddenly nervous, and rightfully so, honorary britannian "On the subject of relationships, what's YOURS with Zero, Suzaku?"

"E-eh?!" Suzaku stammered, the startled warrant officer backing up against the wall in a panic, looking at the tall, perverted blonde like she'd sprouted horns, wings and a pitchfork. Truth be told he was half expecting it.

"Don't play coy with me." Milly teased, leaning in so that her nose was practically touching the recently prompted warrant officer's "Everyone saw how he embraced you on the bridge, why you're the talk of the campus!"

"Wait, embraced?!" Suzaku stammered, his eyes widening in alarm as he realized the reason for all the weird looks he'd been getting. They weren't the usual 'He's an Eleven!' looks either, as more than a few girls had been giggling at him in the corridor on the way here.

"So spill it…" Milly asked, the blonde leaning in to deliver a stage whisper into the stuttering Warrant Officer's ear, smirking at a flustered Kallen and Shirley as she did so, heeldes the smaller teen's shivers "How BIG is he?"

"MADAM PRESIDENT!"

The sole consolation Suzaku had, as he knocked over the recently assembled kitty-pen, was that the group effort to pry an enraged Arthur off his face soon drove the memory of the conversation out of the girl's minds.

'Damn you Zero!' he swore, in a manner oddly reminiscent of a certain lost boy, as Rivalz dabbed iodine onto the open claw marks 'Because of you, I've seen hell!'

* * *

"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel very violated…" Lelouch muttered, shuddering slightly as he directed some of the civilians out of the ghetto, disguised as one of the Britannian forces to conceal his features from view "Someone must be talking about me…"

* * *

"Zero is a criminal with a flair for the theatrical." Cornelia muttered, her purple eyes narrowing impassively as she recalled the man's grandstanding during his rescue of Kururugi "I've recreated the same conditions that existed in Shinjuku in order to draw him out." She smiled confidently "If he's the overconfident type, I predict he'll come here to try and kill me."

"But…Viceroy…" one of the survivors from Clovis' entourage stammered, drawing the purple haired princess' attention to him, which all things considered wasn't a good thing "Are you really going to risk your own life like this?"

"War is a struggle between pride and life." Cornelia informed the man, her tone calm and her features regal "If I scurry around in the background like a coward while my men die on the front lines, then I might as well be dead."

The men snapped to attention, while Cornelia's entourage stood a little straighter, pride at their master's commitment to her goals on their faces.

"Enough of this." Cornelia muttered, nodding to Dalton "Commence the operation."

* * *

'No matter how many times I see it, the cruelty of Britannia is sickening.' Lelouch muttered, clambering into the purloined Sutherland, having brainwashed the pilot into surrendering the code, before making the man jump off the building 'Cornelia might only be doing it to draw out Zero, but it still doesn't change the fact she's involved civilians.'

Shrugging it off, having already alerted most of the stragglers as to the need to evacuate, the former emperor pulled out the radio he'd purloined from a member of the local resistance, having caught the man making a report while scoping out the area. It had been a simple matter of ordering him, under Geass, to surrender their frequencies, before commanding him to begin the evacuation of the slums ahead of schedule.

'Not soon enough though…' Lelouch muttered, having passed several signs of slaughter, mainly from neutral, or commanding bodies that had been targeted by the army, shaking himself as the radio crackled to life.

"This is Zero." He intoned, smirking as he caught the gasps of confused awe on the other end of the line, as word had doubtlessly spread of his debut "I assume all of you are aware of the Shinjuku incident? Do as I say and you will be saved."

"This is risky…" C.C pointed out over the secure radio channel, the green haired immortal waiting for her cue to completely mess with Cornelia's head, hiding amidst the rubble near the command center "If you stick too closely to the plot..."

"Fool me once," Lelouch quoted, a grim smirk on his face as he set his plan into motion, watching the rebels go about their instructions "Things won't go according to Cornelia's plans THIS time…"

Nodding to himself, the former emperor turned his attention to the map screen, where he knew his 'pieces' were moving "R1, R2 maintain distance." He instructed, frowning as he kept one eye on the monitor "Draw them back to the area where N2 is. B7, open fire towards 2 o'clock…"

* * *

Cornelia, reclining in her chair on the armored transport, watched on, her regal features impassive, as the situation carried out exactly according to the script laid out from the Shinjuku disaster. Her troops, those sent into the ghetto anyways, were being mowed down through a combination of blitzkrieg tactics and captured Sutherlands, which just like the last time, weren't showing up on the radar. Her aerial and tank support were being wiped out without firing a single shot in retaliation, despite their position being a closely guarded strategic secret.

Clearly one of the commanding Sutherlands had been captured again, as only they had direct access to the troop placement data. The problem was, how to discern which one?

'Whoever this Zero is, he's a definite strategic genius.' the purple haired princess muttered, a sense of approval washing over her as the report came in on the forces stationed at the bridge being taken down 'Such a shame he's an enemy…I'd have liked to challenge him to chess.'

It really was hard finding a man that WASN'T terrified of her reputation as both the 'Witch of Britannia' and the 'Goddess of Victory'. Most of her would-be suitors tended to be brash nobles, full of outdated ideas that women shouldn't be warriors. After seeing her fight, they tended to lose interest fairly quickly. Weaklings.

Not that ALL the men she knew were weak, but Dalton and Guilford were her knights, and thus couldn't bring themselves to see her in anything other than her official capacity, and then there were the Knights of the Round, the finest of her father's troops.

That said, while capable soldiers, Guilford and Dalton couldn't last more than five minutes against her, which is the average amount of time it took for her elder brother, Schneizel, to bring out her A-game. And the less said about the…habits, of some of the 'Round' members, the better.

"That's enough." She muttered, finally seeing enough as the report came in that the troops she'd stationed on the bridge were taken out in an instant "Order all troops to fall back, further deaths and casualties serve no point."

Ignoring the protests of the advisors, who clearly couldn't see past their pride that fighting a repeat battle was meaningless, the purple haired viceroy smirked, having prepped the men earlier as to what to expect from such an order.

'Not a single one of my men would disobey a direct order.' She noted, pride at her men's loyalty coming to her face 'Even if they had to come here on foot they'd do so. That means the purloined Sutherlands will be the only ones still in the ghetto...with Zero hiding amongst them.'

"Shall we go then?" she spoke up at last, turning regally to look up at the tall, bespectacled man standing attentively at her side, smiling up at him as he turned to face her "Guilford? My Knight?"

"At once, Milady." Guilford offered, bowing politely, before sending a quick look at Dalton, who nodded, staying back to oversee the orders Cornelia had left in place.

* * *

'Just like last time.' Lelouch noted, a nostalgic smirk on his face as he snuck his Sutherland into the returning mass of troops, mingling with the crowd 'She drew all the forces in, knowing the rebels would stay in the ghetto.' His smirk widened 'Too bad for her, but thing's aren't going that way this time.'

"Zero, are you sure about this?" one of the rebels asked, the confusion and terror in his tone evident, even as the rebels slowly filtered into the ranks of military troops "I mean…if they catch us…"

"Cornelia wont be expecting us to mingle with her troops." Lelouch assured the men, broadcasting it to all the purloined frames "Also, the uniforms I left for you all should buy you some time to make your escape, should you be forced to disembark."

"I still don't know about this…" one of them muttered, sounding distinctly uncomfortable as they drew ever closer to the command center, and the lion's den "Are you absolutely sure this is gonna work?"

"War is a battle between pride and life." Lelouch informed the men, a smirk on his face as he coined one of his sister's own sayings "And Britannia's 'Goddess of Victory' is about to taste the pride of the Japanese people."

"Very eloquently put." C.C applauded, though there was a mocking hint to the immortal witch's tone as Lelouch cut off the connection to the rebels before she was heard "You should take up Haiku."

"Maybe after the war is over." Lelouch suggested, smirking as he slipped into the ranks of Cornelia's men "But for now, I'm cutting off communications. We'll meet up in the sewers like last time."

"A rendezvous in the sewers…" C.C noted, her tone laced with gentle mockery, as truth be told she'd half expected their meeting point to remain unchanged "you really know how to treat a woman."

"Cornelia's about to find that out firsthand." Lelouch reminded her, before breaking off communications as Cornelia's royal guard rolled past in their Gloucesters "Showtime…" he muttered, changing the frequency on his Sutherland to the private line "Begin operations."

"Yes…My Lord…"

* * *

"Several Sutherland left transmitting an IFF signal within the city area." Dalton reported, the large, scarred Knight frowning as the viewscreen picked up several inactive frames wthin the ghetto, despite his lady's orders.

"Destroy them." Cornelia ordered, her features impassive, even as the Shinjuku survivors rounded on her in confusion "I ordered all troops to fall back, I have no use for soldiers that cannot follow my orders." She smirked "Do your duty even if it costs your life, my subordinates follow that code without question."

"Milady…" Guilford called out, the bespectacled knight's features appearing on screen, his tone solemn, but lined with confusion nonetheless as Cornelia looked up "We eliminated the first straggler…it was one of ours."

"I see…" Cornelia muttered, the goddess of victory pursing her purple lips slightly in distaste, as words aside she disliked throwing the lives of her men away without due cause "Proceed to the next group."

"As you command." Guilford acceded, the bespectacled Knight cutting off communications as his squad moved in to intercept their next targets, which were milling around the ruins aimlessly, clearly not millitary.

'So one of my men couldn't make it back in time…' she noted, frowning in distaste at the pointless sacrifice 'I'll simply pay Zero back for each death he's cost me.' Her eyes narrowed in anger 'Starting with Clovis'.'

"Milady, we've exterminated the second enemy group." Guilford reported, the bespectacled knight's features looking distinctly discomforted as it reappeared on screen "Milady…they were more of ours…"

"What?" Cornelia asked, her head snapping upwards to look the knight in the eye, unable to believe his words, but also unwilling to believe he'd lie to her "Are you certain? Could it not be a trick?"

"I checked the IFF signals and the registry on the Sutherlands myself." Guilford stated, his face marred with discomfort "Not only that, but I recognize some of these men, they're from the unit we deployed to scout the area."

'What is going on here…?' Cornelia muttered, her gloved fingers tightening on the hand rest of her seat as she fought the urge to bite her lip, a sign of agitation she couldn't afford to let others see 'Why were those men just standing there?'

"Send a hailing to the next group." She instructed, looking up from her musing to deliver the order directly to her trusted knight "Use army code, if they're truly ours, they'll respond accordingly."

"At once." Guilford bowed, the bespectacled Knight cutting off communications once again as he directed his group of Gloucesters deeper into the ghetto, moving in the direction of the next renegade cell.

"Dalton, send a signal to the group Guilford's approaching." Cornelia ordered, the purple haired viceroy looking over at the scarred Knight as she spoke "Tell them to disembark from the Sutherlands immediately."

"At once, Milady." Dalton bowed, Guilfords large scarred partner and fellow Knight turning to administer the order to the troops, even as Cornelia covered her mouth with one gloved hand, her mind at work.

'What are you playing at Zero?' she wondered, noting that the singular IFF signals were scattered far enough apart that it WAS possible some of her men had been captured 'Are you simply trying to bait us out?'

"Milady, there doesn't appear to be any trace of the unit in this area." Guilford noted, his tone confused, and a little wary, as he looked his lady in the eye "From the looks of things they pulled out before we got here."

"He predicted my move?" Cornelia noted aloud, a hint of excitement in her tone as she quirked one lavender brow in interest, as this was actually getting interesting "We may actually be dealing with Zero himself."

"Milady! We're under fire!" Guilford exclaimed, the screen containing his features shaking as he warded off the sudden assault, the sound of gunfire audible over the speakers "Damn! They circled behind us!"

"Send in more Gloucesters and surround them!" Cornelia ordered, her brow furrowing in anger "Don't let a single unit escape!"

* * *

"Just as planned." Lelouch chuckled, his permanent Geass shining as he listened to the orders being relayed to his 'pawns'. 'You didn't expect to be going up against your own men, did you, Cornelia?"

Prior to commandeering a command-Sutherland, Lelouch had 'ambushed' several solitary units, most notably the supply vessels transporting the frames, and planted his Geass on the pilots, effectively turning them into 'sleeper' soldiers for this little game.

'They coordinate so much easier than the rebels do too.' He noted, a wry smirk on his face as he listened in on Guilford's plight over the airwaves, it was almost soothing to hear the Knight so frantic and off-balance 'Cornelia really is leagues ahead of Clovis.'

"Unit 5." He ordered, using a burst frequency in order to prevent the signal being detected by the command center's systems "Continue to distract enemy forces, then fold."

"Yes…my lord…"

* * *

"Our own men again?!" Dalton exclaimed, the Large, scarred Knight glaring down at the map screen in anger, as Guilford's report came in, his fist thumping against in irritation "Are you certain?!"

"Definite." Guilford gasped, the Bespectacled Knight looking a little haggard, as the guerilla tactics were proving highly effective and taxing to deal with "Our units, our ordinance, they're even using our formations."

"What the devil is going on out there…" Dalton muttered, his features decidedly grim as he turned to face Cornelia, only to blink as the princess rose to her feet, looking less than pleased with the situation, and rightfully so "Milady?"

"It seems I underestimated Zero." the godess of victory muttered, walking down the steps of her throne, the men withdrawing from her like she was an oncoming tank "Prepare my Gloucester, I'll handle this myself."

"Milady!" Dalton exclaimed, the large Knight looking shocked at the very thought of his Lady riding out into battle against mre guerrillas, albeit highly tenacious ones "There's no need for you to sully your hands with-!"

"Zero is making a fool out of me and my men." Cornelia growled, her regal features darkening by the second as the crew of the command center backed away fearfully "This is clearly a game to him…well the games end NOW."

"As you command." Dalton acceded, the scarred Knight knowing better than to argue with his lady when she had THAT look on her face, getting shot wasn't fun no matter WHO was pulling the trigger after all "Shall we assemble a cell to accompany you?"

"Assemble some of the gathered Sutherlands." Cornelia muttered "All the Gloucesters are already in the field, we can at least use the Sutherlands for support."

That said, the purple haired Viceroy stalked down the corridor, the look on her face a mixture between anger at being toyed with, and the eagerness of facing a worthy foe.

'I haven't felt this excited since my debut battle.' She noted, a smirk on her face as she recalled how eager she'd been to leap into the fray 'Perhaps I WON'T have Zero tortured before executing him after all.'

Handing her mantle to a tech as she climbed into her personal Gloucester, the Goddess of Victory swept before the ranks, coming up in front of a platoon that had been stationed to guard the command center "You there, come with me!"

The Frames moved, falling into formation alongside her Gloucester, following her deep into the ruins of the ghetto, stopping only when they reached a crossroads of sort.

"Half of you split up and go investigate the west area." Cornelia ordered, pointing her lance in the general direction with a nod "The rest of you, come with me and we'll swoop around to the other side.

The Frames nodded, moving out of formation, only to suddenly whip round, aiming their rifles at close range, Cornelia's eyes widening in surprise, even as one of them grabbed her lance out of her Gloucester's grasp.

"What is meaning of this?!" Cornelia demanded, the startled viceroy looking down the barrels of the assembled rifles in alarm, as if facing down a firing squad "What do you men think you're doing?!"

"Capturing the enemy Queen." Came a low, cultured voice over the radio, Cornelia's eyes widening as she recognized it from the broadcast, her suspicions confirmed as a familiar masked visage appeared on screen. "With this, I call Checkmate…Cornelia."

* * *

And we'll leave off for now.

How will Lelouch handle this situation? Will he finish Cornelia off early? He certainly doesn't need to press her for answers.

Lelouch: The only one that can answer that is Kyugan *eyes smouldering corpse* and Kallen went overboard on him.

Kallen: G...gomen...I don't know what came over me...

C.C: Sigh...and he was doing so much better too...We'll need more reviews for this.

Sayoko: Not a problem, *turns to hulking shadow behind her, dressed in a maid's uniform* Otou-sama? would you be so kind?

Kogarashi: Kukuku! Such a troublesome acquaintance my master's friends are! *turns to glare at the readers* Nevertheless! MAID GUY COMPELLING VOICE!!!!

Lelouch: *Watching impassively as Kogarashi orders the readers to review* Milly sure has some weird maids...

Kallen: Is that even HUMAN?!

R&R or Kogarashi will come for you!


	8. Chapter 8

C.C: Alright, we're ready to begin the revival.

Kallen: This is retarded...

Lelouch: Hey, do YOU have a better suggestion, miss hair-trigger?

C.C: Plug him in.

Kogarashi: Kukuku...(Plugs a USB plug into Kyugan's ear) MAID GUY OS RECOVERY!

Kyugan: (Twitches...then rises slowly, like a vombie, as the power of reviews washes over him)

Lelouch: Is it working?

Kyugan:...'wah! wah! otou-san!' Your tears have turned me into super Kyugan! Everyone...lend me your power!

Kallen: I think we went too far...

Milly: I got this (pulls paddle-sama out from behind her back, smacks Kyugan upside the head)

Kyugan: GENN_SAN?! *shakes head* oro? What happened? Why do I feel supercharged?

C.C: Never mind that, it's time to update.

Kyugan: Oh WRRRRRY-Ly? (Cracks knuckles) in that case...!

No random extras were harmed in the making of this chapter.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Pause for Thought.

"Zero…" Cornelia hissed, glaring at the murderer of her younger brother, resisting the urge to leap forward and throttle the man with every ounce of rational thought and military discipline she possessed. For one thing, she didn't know WHICH one of the assembled Sutherlands he was piloting, for another, she didn't doubt for a second that the slightest movement would bring about a hail of bullets "So…the coward finally shows himself."

"Cornelia, please, name-calling?" the masked vigilante asked, sounding of all things disappointed with as he shook his head on the screen "Is that REALLY becoming of a Princess of Britannian? The famed 'Goddess of Victory' at that?"

"What are your terms?" Cornelia asked, the purple haired viceroy wondering why in the hell Dalton hadn't noticed her predicament, even as she pressed on the radio, earning nothing more than a burst of static for hre troubles.

"Don't bother with the radio." Zero pointed out, as if the masked vigilante had predicted her action, which i all likelihood he probably had "We've arranged things so that your men will be a little…occupied, for a while."

Cornelia frowned, only for her eyes to widen as a distant explosion shook the ground, a plume of smoke rising into the air, coming from the general direction of the command center.

"Amazing how damaging a few strategically placed suicide Sutherlands can be." Zero noted, as if commenting on the weather "All it took was placing them near key target areas and having the pilots detonate remotely once they disembarked."

"You snuck the rebels into my troops." Cornelia noted, cursing herself for not checking the men over personally once they'd returned "And kept a few of my men hostage to draw Guilford and myself into ambushes."

"I'm afraid only half of your deductions are correct." Zero countered, raising a finger in the air "I DID sneak the rebels in with your troops, I even gave them uniforms liberated from your men." He gestured, as if to point out the wall of Sutherlands "However, all of those NOT part of the 'suicide Sutherland' squad are assembled here."

"A mere twelve Sutherlands?" Cornelia muttered, counting off the numbers of enemy frames with a frown, trying to spot an opening in their ranks as she did so "If that's the case, then how did you…"

"Manage to ambush Guilford and your royal guard?" Zero asked, cutting the purple haired princess off, waving a hand dismissively "Let us just say that some of your men were…receptive, to my demands."

"You're lying." Cornelia countered, glaring heatedly at the masked visage on her view-screen in distaste, wishing she could put a bullet between his eyes "There isn't a single one of my men that would betray me!"

"True, your forces are notoriously loyal." Zero agreed, his fingers steepling before his helmet as he spoke, tone respectful and approving despite his following words "Which made it all the easier to manipulate them."

"You bastard-!" Cornelia snapped, moving her Gloucester forwards to attack, heedless of the fact her weapons were removed, only to pull up short as the surrounding Sutherlands cocked their rifles "Dammit!"

"Calm yourself, Cornelia." Zero intoned, his voice calming, with no hint of mockery or belittlement, as Cornelia would have expected "Despite our differences, and your obvious vendetta, I merely wish to talk."

* * *

"What's the situation?!" Dalton demanded, the scarred Knight holding onto the map screen for support as the command center continued to shake from the proximity of the explosions going off all around them "Get me a status report!"

"They've taken out several ammunition silos and power cells!" one of the Shinjuku survivors relayed, looking madly stricken as he read the incoming reports "Half the assembled Sutherlands have been wiped out! Our communications network has been disrupted!"

"What about Guilford and her Highness?!" Dalton demanded, his eyes flicking over the map screen, noting the two familiar IFF signals of his fellow Knight and their lady in alarm, concern for their safety his highest priority.

"Sir Guilford is engaged in combat against the guerillas!" one of the tacticians relayed, looking over the screen with a paniced, almost terrified expression "Princess Cornelia is currently holding her position with friendly units!"

"Send a squad to back up Guilford on the double!" Dalton ordered, pointing at one of the Shinjuku survivors for emphasis, his expression fierce as they snapped to attention "And get a signal out to her highness immediately!"

'I don't like this.' The scarred Knight muttered, glaring at the screen with suspicion 'It isn't like Lady Cornelia to just sit around while her men are fighting…'

* * *

"Talk?" Cornelia repeated, the purple haired viceroy glaring at the masked vigilante with disdain, her eyes roaming over the amassed firepower leveled at her captured Gloucester "Well you certainly have an odd way of making requests."

"I apologize for the rude handling of the offer," Zero chuckled, a hint of wry amusement in his tone as he caught her meaning all too clearly "but I couldn't very well ensure you wouldn't crush me on sight."

"You assume correct," Cornelia muttered, a grudging smirk adorning her own features as she inclined her head, resting her jaw on her knuckles as she gazed at the revolutionary on screen, almost as if she were attending a video conference "Very well, say your piece."

"Don't you think this is a little improper?" Zero asked, the masked revolutionary gesturing to the interior of their respective Knightmare frames for emphasis "What do you say we continue this conversation face to face?"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Cornelia muttered, narrowing her eyes at the masked menace, suspecting him to be as insane as he dressed "The second I stick my head out of my Gloucester you'll have these elevens snipe me."

"Very well then, as a gesture of good faith then, I shall disembark first." Zero offered, Cornelia's eyes widening as the video feed cut off, followed by the cockpit of the lead Sutherland opening, allowing a small cloaked figure to disembark.

'So that's him…' Cornelia muttered, watching as the cloaked figure lowered himself to the ground on the landing wire, walking towards her captured Gloucester at a sedate, easy pace, as if he had absolutely nothign to fear 'It'd be so easy to just stamp on him…'

"Well, Cornelia?" Zero called out, snapping the woman out of her thoughts as his voice sounded over the radio, the woman noting that he'd come to a halt half way between their two Knightmares, his arms spread wide to reveal he wasn't armed "Here I am. Can you face me now?"

Cornelia glared at the figure, fingers poised to command her Gloucester to step forward and stamp the little bastard into paste. It would be so easy, just one step, even if she was shot to ribbons for it, she'd still take the little bastard with her.

But a part of her respected his daring, not many men in his position would willingly put themselves at a disadvantage, and as the one that had outsmarted her, she felt a need to address this foe face to face.

So with a grunt, she ejected the hatch, standing tall amidst the scrutiny of the Eleven's piloting the stolen Sutherlands as she lowered herself to the ground, her gun-blade at her hip as she advanced on the vigilante.

"Well met, Cornelia Li Britannia." Zero greeted, standing tall, though Cornelia noted with wry amusement that she stood head and shoulders taller than him, the man's visor just barely reaching above her breasts "It is indeed a privilege to speak with you in person." He titled his head in a nod "Your beauty truly is as great as your skill."

"So you're the infamous Zero everyone's talking about." Cornelia noted, smirking slightly at the compliment, one hand resting on her hip, ready to draw her weapon and empty a round into the man's helmeted face should he try anything "Quite frankly, I was expecting someone a little taller."

"Sorry to disappoint." Zero scoffed, apparently unaffected by her words as he stood before her, pulling off a polite stage bow, one hand across his chest, as if he were a courtier greeting her at a ball, rather than an enemy on the battlefield "Regardless, what you see is what you get, Viceroy."

"So what now?" Cornelia asked, inclining her head ever so slightly in an acceptance of the bow, as she was hardly about to return the man's pleasantries any more than she had to "You wanted to speak with me, so speak."

"As direct and to the point as ever." Zero noted, straightening up with a hint of approval in his tone, Cornelia's frowning features reflecting on his helmet as he gazed at her "You haven't changed, Cornelia."

"Get to the point." Cornelia demanded, though internally, she was a little caught off guard at how relieved the man sounded. It was almost as if he was reminiscing about something, as if he'd met her somewhere before and was pleased to see her again "What did you want to talk about? Surrender? A ceasefire?"

"Cornelia, what do you think of Britannia?" Zero asked, coming completely right out of left field and surprising the taller woman with his bluntness, or rather, his daring "Of the way things are run? Do you agree with them?"

"Is this a joke?" Cornelia demanded, the second princess of the Imperial familly scowling at the masked man, her hand going for her weapon "Are you questioning my loyalty to the Empire? My family?"

"I merely posed a question." Zero countered, his tone calming "What do you think of the father that pits his own children against one another? Who tosses them aside when they outlive their usefulness, or sends them away from court to watch over one of his many 'colonies'?"

"My father is my father." Cornelia replied, her tone cool and reserved, as she really didn't care to thin about what the man got up to. she already had more than enough reasons to fear him and his methods, more specifically, that he might turn them on Euphemia "I may not approve of his methods, but he has made the empire strong-!"

"Why is the emperor conquering the world do you think?" Zero posed, cutting the purple haired woman off, a finger raised for emphasis "Not only that, he moves in a specific pattern, targeting specific areas, sending only those he trusts in to investigate before pulling out."

"What are you talking about?" Cornelia demanded, having heard nothing of this from her time on the front lines. True she and her men had usually moved on to the next 'area' by the time the imperial emissaries arrived, but she'd never heard of them doing much other than ensuring the Viceroy, usually one of her younger siblings, settled in.

"The Emperor is looking for something." Zero informed her, his tone seeming to drill into her being as he turned his helemt up, as if to look into her eyes "Something so great he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his family to obtain it."

"Are you referring to Clovis?" Cornelia asked, her purple lips curling mockingly as she put her hand on her hip, the other raised dismissively as she shook her head "Because if you think a far-fetched tale like that can-!"

"I was referring to the death of Marianne vi Britannia, the 'Knight of Justice'." Zero cut in, Cornelia's eyes snapping wide as she gaped at the masked man in shock "It was no act of terrorism that took the life of the Emperor's fifth wife and consort."

* * *

Cornelia's eyes widened, recalling that fateful day, when she'd lost one of the few women she'd respected and looked up to, a commoner of birth, but with a strength of will and resolve that it had elevated her to a position within the ranks, eventually catching the eye of her father.

Many had opposed the union; why should the noble blood of the empire be diluted by allowing a commoner, albeit a talented one, to wed the Emperor? Why not marry her off to a loyal duke? Or one of the Emperor's relatives?

But of course, no one voiced those words aloud, for to do so was to question the word of the emperor, and in a kingdom where a persons life could be elevated or destroyed by the man in question, it was wise not to have the Emperor speak against you.

'Then the assassination.' She muttered, recalling how Lady Marianne had been gunned down inside the walls of her palace, in front of a slew of witnesses, including her own infant children, Cornelia's stepsiblings. 'Little Nunnally lost the use of her legs from the incident…and Lelouch…'

Now there was a wound that had never healed. The little boy had always been at Euphemia's side, so much so there was talk of having them married off young. Cornelia honestly thought it was cute, watching the innocent boy infatuate her little sister without even realizing it.

'And then he made the mistake of challenging the Emperor.' She recalled, grimacing at Lelouch's sentence, how he'd been dragged out of the audience hall by royal guard, literally thrown onto the next transport ship to Japan, along with the still recovering Nunnally, as their father had no use for 'weaklings' and 'refuse.'

'It was that, along with Marianne's death, that drove me to become stronger.' Cornelia muttered grimly, recalling her determination to uncover the murderer behind the woman's death, as well as her sister's crying face at the news of Lelouch and Nunnally's deaths in Japan 'That, and it was the only way to ensure that Euphie didn't suffer the same fate.'

Euphemia was of the mentality that the Settlements be given back their name and Identity, which contrasted greatly with the 'isolation' policy of the Empire. It sickened the woman that a people could be reduced to little more than a number, their national pride and history erased. But such thoughts ran dangerously close to treason, one of the reasons Cornelia had the girl travel with her was to cover up for anything she said that might make it back home.

Lelouch was banished simply for renouncing his position as the 17th heir to the throne. Cornelia had no doubts that Euphemia would receive a WORSE sentence if the emperor learned of her 'radical' line of thought.

"You're saying that whatever my father is looking for…it cost Lady Marianne her life?" she finally asked, a hint of uncertainty appearing on her features. After all, there was always a chance that Zero was making the whole thing up.

"I'm saying the Emperor is so determined to ensure no-one learns of his goings on that NO ONE, not even family, is safe." Zero informed her, the masked vigilante's tone as grave as could be "The power the emperor seeks is one that had been coveted as 'the power of kings' in the past, bringer of both glory and destruction in equal parts to those that stumble upon it."

"Supposing that IS true." Cornelia countered, her features firming as she glared down at the masked interloper, making a note to look into this so-called 'power' later "What proof do you have to support this claim?"

"How is it, do you think, that none of Clovis' guards had any recollection of where they were when he died?" Zero countered, earning a glare from the tall woman, who was sorely tempted to put a bullet between his eyes "Better still, why are your own men fighting you?"

Cornelia grimaced at that. It HAD been a rather pressing concern when Guilford began reporting in that her own men were behind the ambushes. Surely there weren't THAT many traitors amongst her soldiers?

As if to emphasize his point, Zero swept out an arm from under his cape, gesturing dramatically towards the slums "The self same power that your father would cast his children aside for…the power to bring men of all races to their knees in submission…" he brought the hand to his chest "I have obtained."

"I'm going to need a little more proof then that." Cornelia muttered, quirking an eyebrow at the man's claim, more than a little skeptical. For all she knew this 'Power' was simply some great monetary wealth, which generally speaking wasn't that big a secret. Hell every Empire plundered its conquests, why should Britannia be any different?

"And you shall receive it." Zero assured her, the masked man turning on his heel with a flourish, his cape rising behind him as if in a breeze as he made to walk away "However, I believe that is enough for today."

"Hold it!" Cornelia called out, whipping out her weapon, aiming the rapier-like firearm at the back of the man's head, removing the safety with an audible click "You think I can miss at this range?!" she asked, even as the surrounding Sutherlands readied their own weapons "We're not finished!"

"You won't shoot." Zero stated, his tone low, laced with a level confidence and certainty that was staggering to behold given the situation "Cornelia Li Britannia isn't the type of scum to shoot a man in the back."

"You murdered my little brother." Cornelia pointed out, her finger tightening on the trigger even as she spoke, her eyes narrowed in distaste at how well this man seemed to know her, right down to her code of honor "I think I'd be justified this one time."

"And where would that lead?" Zero asked, his back to the imminent threat "One time leads to another, it will become easier with each time, progressing onwards and onwards until you think nothing of killing anyone in your path…"

Cornelia grimaced, wondering why the hell she didn't just pull the damn trigger and be done with it, only for Zero to turn, walking up to her and grabbing the end of her weapon, aiming it directly at his heart.

"If it is my life you want, then by all means, take it." the masked man urged, even as the rebels voiced their alarm over the speakers "However…this world where the emperor thinks nothing of casting aside his own family…of laying waste to countless innocent lives for power…" even through the helmet, Cornelia could feel the weight of the man's stare boring into her eyes "is this really the type of world you wish Euphemia to grow up in?"

* * *

Cornelia recoiled as if struck, her eyes wide and her hand trembling, only Zero's hand keeping the barrel aimed at his heart. Biting her lip, she tried to gather her resolve, trigger-finger trembling with indecision, the knuckle under her gloves turning white from the pressure.

Behind the vigilante, the image of a saddened Euphemia gazed back at her, the pink haired young woman's eyes reproachful. On either side of her stood two other figures, on her left, a crying Nunnally, on the right, Lelouch glared balefully up at him, the little boy's face the same mask of betrayal he'd stared down their father with.

They stood in silence, Zero and Cornelia, the Masked Vigilante and the Witch of Britannia, neither moving an inch, the heat of the sun shining high in the sky causing heat waves to form around them.

And then Cornelia lowered her weapon, turning her head to the side, her purple tresses hiding her eyes from view. "Just go…" the tall, reserved woman muttered, a look of self-disgust crossing her face even as she said it "Get out of here, before I change my mind!"

"We'll be in touch." Zero offered, his words low and consoling, laced with respect as he stepped away from the conflicted Viceroy, allowing himself to be picked up by one of the rebels, who returned the vigilante to his own Sutherland as they all retreated into the ruins, leaving Cornelia standing in the street, warring with her emotions.

"Milady!" Guilford's voice called out, the bespectacled Knight arriving on the scene mere seconds after the group had long dispersed, his Gloucester marked with the signs of recent conflict, as were those of his remaining escort "Are you alright? What happened?!"

"Guilford…" Cornelia spoke, her voice heavy, laced with a type of exhaustion that brought a look of shock to the Knight's face,having never seen her so drained before "Order a retreat…we're done here."

"Milady?" Guilford wondered, the bespectacled Knight looking down at the woman, noting that she'd drawn her side-arm for some reason, before nodding and signaling to his men to sound the retreat.

'Zero…' Cornelia muttered, half spitting, half breathing the masked man's name, her mind roiling with conflicting emotions and the information he'd left her to think about 'What are you planning?'

Either way, as she climbed back into her Gloucester, allowing Guilford to escort her back to the command center, where Dalton had finally managed to regain control of the situation, the Witch of Britannia just knew this wouldn't be the last time she and her masked opponent locked wits.

But this time, as much as it galled her to admit it, Zero had won.

* * *

"That was a little harsh, even for you." C.C noted, looking up as Lelouch sauntered up to their meeting place, having left the celebrating rebels to their own devices. The green haired woman was decked out in a spare Zero costume, just in case things HADN'T gone according to the plan "And reckless, what would you have done if she'd shot you?"

"I've died once before haven't I?" Lelouch pointed out, pulling off his helmet and smiling as the witch scowled at him for his blasé attitude "I knew Cornelia as a child," he assured her, "I was counting on her not changing that much as an adult."

"Childhood memories make for the most dangerous ammunition." C.C quoted, sighing as she got to her feet, dusting off her pants with a pouting expression on her face "I didn't have to do anything this time round."

"I'm not the same impetuous teen that believed everything should be fair and equal." Lelouch reminded her, his features settling into a grim frown of how petulant he'd been the first time round, how he'd railed against Cornelia's superior military tactic, one hand rising to cover his permanent Geass "I haven't forgotten the lessons of the past."

"Speaking of the past…" C.C noted, pressing a finger to her lips in thought as she leant against the wall, her cape wrapping around her like wings as she posed "Isn't the Black Knight's big debut tomorrow?"

"Everything has already been prepared." Lelouch assured her, offering the immortal woman his hand to help her stand away from the wall "The hideout trailer was already delivered, and the uniforms have already been supplied."

"Then we're all set." C.C noted, accepting the offered hand, looking into her contractor's eyes with a small smile, as she pulled out his eye patch from one of her pockets "To recreate the Knights for Justice."

"The first step towards toppling the Empire." Lelouch agreed, allowing her to place the patch over his eye for him, stealing a kiss in the process "The seedlings that will become the foundations of the new era."

* * *

Lelouch: Wow...he's pretty good at this.

C.C: Sexy pirates for the win.

Kallen: How come you two get all the good parts?!

C.C: You're not awake yet, have patience.

KAllen: then when the hell do I wake up?!

LElouch: I'd ask Kyugan (Sweatdrops as the glowing author poses atop a road roller, havign dropped it on Kogarashi's head) But...he seems a little out of it right now.

Kyugan: -VIEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWS!

R.R: R&R for more, time-altering goodness!


	9. Chapter 9

R.R: Yet another update for Sketchfan's Outoto.

Kyugan: we hope you enjoy.

Lelouch: I know 'I' will.

Kallen: That's cause you're enjoy mind-raping people.

Lelouch: You don't get STD's when you Mind Rape.

C.C: True, but it's not as fun.

Lelouch: Huh? (Shivers as an aura of DOOM washes over him) Wait...where's milly?

PADDLE TO THE HEAD!

No time-travelling Demon emperor schoolboys were harmed in the making of this chapter.

Molested by members of his harem, yes, but not exactly harmed...yet.

* * *

Chapter Eight: Hostage Situation.

"WOW!" Shirley exclaimed, the cheerfull orangette looking out the window of the speeding bullet train excitedly as the Tokyo settlement zoomed past "I've never left the Tokyo Settlement before, this is my first time!"

"I'm sure you wish Lelouch had come along, right?" Milly teased, smiling coyly at the girl from her seat across from her "Then it would've been BOTH your first times." She laughed as the orangette turned red from the implied meaning "Don't be so shy! Tonight we can stay up all night talking! Let's talk about which guys we like at school!"

"If that's the case you probably have a lot to talk about." Shirley muttered, not meaning anything TOO offensive, as she knew Milly, despite her perversion, didn't sleep around, not noticing the slight flinch from Nina, though Milly took it in stride.

"Who can say?" the Ashford heir implied suggestively, a smile on her face as she sat back in her chair with a sigh of approval "Though Lelouch has gone up the rankings lately, that eye patch seems to have done wonders!"

"D-don't you think it's strange how…daring he's b-being?" Nina asked, reddening slightly at the memory of the time she bumped into his leaning over the President's shoulder, apparently whispering into the flustered blonde's ear.

"Not at all!" Milly countered, an approving smile on her face "If anything I'm glad! I was beginning to think our Lulu batted for the other team!" she waggled her eyebrows at the stunned underclassmen "Think about it, he and Rivalz spend LOADS of time together…disappearing off campus for hours on end…"

"THEY'RE JUST GAMBLING!" Shirley yelled, the red-faced Fennette shaking the out-cold Nina by the shoulders, trying to rouse the girl back to consciousness, heedless of the foam coming out of her mouth "THEY'RE JUST GAMBLING! LULU ISN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL!"

"I noticed you aren't saying anything about Rivalz." Milly pointed out, prompting another screeching fit that echoed throughout the train.

* * *

Sitting in her deluxe, private cabin, Euphemia Li Britannia blinked, wondering if there was something wrong the brakes, as the high pitched shriek echoed in the air. She could have sworn this cabin was soundproofed too.

"Sub-viceroy…" her female attendant muttered, looking most uncomfortable in such a public setting with such little back up "Are you certain we should be doing this? I think it would have been better to arrange for a private…"

"A private tour would have been boring and scripted." Euphemia countered, looking out the window, a sad look on her face as she gazed at the Tokyo slums "I want to experience the tour from the commoners point of view, without the Empire's propaganda and people deifying me for my name."

"But you're a princess!" the poor woman insisted, trying to make her stubborn charge see reason "For you to be traveling with such a limited guard…in a public place no less! If Viceroy Cornelia learns of this-!"

"Which is why I never told her." Euphemia cut in, giggling at the look on the woman's face, which was turning a pale green from the strain "Cornelia's always stepping in when I try to do something, this is one of the few times I've managed to slip under her radar." She smiled at the woman "Don't worry, I'll assume full responsibility."

This was hardly a comfort to the poor woman, who knew first hand that anyone that so much as offered Euphemia a rose without properly trimming the thorns was liable to face the wrath of the girl's elder sister. Simply being in the general vicinity of one of Euphemia's acts of 'rebellion' was akin to being responsible in Cornelia's book.

'I need a new job…' the woman wept, even as she allowed the princess to talk her into a game of old maid.

* * *

"What're you waiting for?" Lelouch asked, the teen donning the guise of Zero once more as he reclined on the couch, looking on as Kallen, Ohgi, and the rest of the gang from Shinjuku, filed into the newly delivered trailer "Come in. As of now, this place will be our hideout."

"So you think joining up with us is a good idea?" Ohgi asked, looking around at the slick, custom interior of the trailer in awe. Whoever Zero was, he had some serious connections, and the cash to back them up.

"But of course." Zero assured the man, the former emperor smiling softly behind his mask as the rebels once again voiced their enawed approval of their new hideout/transport "We're comrades, after all."

"Holy cow…" Tamaki gaped, the redheaded, hot-tempered rebel looking around the interior of the trailer in awe, having never set foot inside anything this lavish in his life "Hey there's a second floor too!"

"Pardon my curiosity…" Ohgi began, the leader of the rebels, and Zero's future second in command looking over at their masked benefactor "But would you mind telling me how you got your hands on this?"

"You catch on quick Ohgi." Zero applauded, nodding his head towards the man "Let's just say I 'borrowed' it from a rather libertine nobleman."

Ohgi nodded, his lips pursing together as he read between the lines, rightfully suspecting that Zero's mysterious power of Geass was involved somehow, but deciding against voicing such thoughts. The Empire probably used it to obtain what they wanted, so even if Ohgi disapproved, why shouldn't Zero do the same?

"Now then, I believe we have other matters to attend to." Zero called out, themasked revolutionary nodding to one of the other rebels loitering about, his hand gesturing towards the remote sitting on the table "The television, if you would?"

"There's TV too?!" Tamaki cackled, the enthused rebel sticking his head between the gaps in the banisters to gape at the wall mounted television screen with a grin, only to blink as the news report came on.

"As you can see, a member of the Japan liberation front has decided to take the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hostage." Zero instructed, the disapproval evident in his tone "Kallen, I think you might be particularly interested in this."

The redhead blinked, looking on as the report cut to a video taken by the terrorists, her eyes widening as she recognized three members of the student council there.

"There's one more thing." Zero pointed out, his tone conspiratorial "Something that even the press have no inkling off." He waited till he had their attention "Princess Euphemia Li Britannia is amongst the hostages."

"A PRINCESS?!" Tamaki gaped, his eyes bulging wide as the whispers broke out amongst the others, like the hissings of snakes, or the droning of wasps "Holy Shit on a Cracker! Kusakabe struck it rich!"

"He is currently unaware of her inclusion." Zero intoned, his head turning towards Tamaki, who flinched under the force of the man's unseen glare "But knowing Euphemia, she won't stay hidden long, especially if the hostages are put in danger."

"You sound like you know her." Ohgi opined, the one-time leader of the rebel cell drawing everyone's attention to himself as he nodded at their caped benefactor, his expression lined with grim understanding "Have you met her before?"

"By reputation." Zero informed the man "Euphemia is like the polar opposite to her elder sister, Cornelia." He waited for the shocked outbursts to die down "That said, Cornelia is liable to go on a warpath when she learns what's happened. Something Kusakabe most likely never considered."

"So what do you want to do?" Kallen asked, looking over at the mysterious vigilante in concern, and a hint of eagerness, as she continued to listen in to the news report "I mean…are we going to help?"

"But of course." Zero affirmed, earning shocked whispers from the rebels "Did I not say that our enemy is not the people, but the corruption that rules Britannia itself?" he tilted his helmet towards the screen "Kusakabe has involved civilians in his struggle…I CANNOT tolerate such actions."

* * *

The rebels blinked, noting how incensed the normally impeccable vigilante was, many of them deciding against voicing their protests regarding the man's idea to oppose the Lt. Colonel's attempts. For one thing, many of them despised hostage situations too, and there were women and children caught up in that mess. Most of them were Britannian true, but they were still innocent civilians.

"Kallen." Zero called out, snapping the redhead out of her daze as he nodded towards the staircase "In the room upstairs, you will find several boxes. Open them up and hand out the contents to everyone."

"Y-yes!" Kallen gasped, rushing up the stairs, two at a time, and opening one of the rooms, noting there were several bunk beds against the wall, pulling one of the many boxes towards her and tearing it open "Huh? Clothes?"

"Uniforms." Zero corrected, drawing blank stares from the rebels, even as Ohgi went up to help Kallen carry the boxes down "We are no longer a simple gang of terrorists, we are freedom fighters, champions of justice that strive to correct the corruption that had plagued our world for so long." He nodded at the stunned redhead "As such, I thought it would be necessary to have us dress the part."

"Hey! This shit's custom!" Tamaki noted, the hotheaded rebel looking over the black jacket he'd been handed with a look of amazemed approval, turning it over in his hands "Whoa! It's like something out of a war movie!"

"I had them made so maneuverability wouldn't be an issue." Zero assured them, watching as the rebels marvelled over their new apparrel "Looking good wouldn't do you any good if it impeded your movement."

"Hey, there's Kevlar in here too!" a female rebel exclaimed, her eyes wide, running her hands over the inside of the jackets in amazement, drawing looks of wonder from the others as they realized this was true "Not really thick, but it should handle small arms fire."

"It's the same issue that Britannian commanders wear under their dress uniforms." Zero assured her, causing several rebels to gape at him in surprise "I only get the best for my comrades. And expect no less in return."

'I'd say!' Kallen exclaimed, looking down at the uniform she'd selected for herself in awe, noting that it seemed almost tailored to fit her 'If this is the length he goes to simply to prove his loyalty, then sign me up!'

"So what's the plan?" Ohgi asked, looking up from slipping into his own uniform, the women having moved to the upper level to change in the privacy of the rooms up there "We going to help out?"

"Indeed." Zero intoned, Lelouch's Geass shining brightly behind the mask as he listened to Shirley's father denounce the terrorists as cowards "its time the people learned that there are still heroes in this world…"

* * *

Cornelia cursed, her teeth clenching as the reports came in that the Gloucesters she'd sent in via the supply tunnel had been wiped out by a cobbled together Linear cannon the terrorists had set up beforehand.

"We cannot show weakness to terrorists!" she snapped, glaring at her advisors, who were discussing the release of the political prisoners that had been amongst the demands set by Kusakabe, damn his hide.

"But Milady…" Guilford murmured, the Spearhead of the empire leaning in close to his master's ear, his bespectacled face lined with concern as he urged her to remember that it wasn't just civillian lives at stake here "Princess Euphemia…"

"I know…" Cornelia muttered, keeping her voice low, though the anger and helplessness was visible to her knights. She'd known that Euphemia was there, the girl honestly didn't know that Cornelia LET her slip away occasionally, but she was regretting it this time, as she had let the girl walk right into a trap.

'The one saving grace is that her identity is still secure.' the goddess of victory muttered, resisting the urge to bite her lip from anger 'If the terrorists had any inkling she was there they'd have already upped their demands.'

* * *

Suzaku frowned, sitting in the cockpit of the completely restored Lancelot, itching to leap into the fray and rescue the hostages, but under orders from Cornelia to remain o standby until further notice.

'It seems even with my recent promotion, she doesn't want to put her faith in an 'honorary' Britannian.' He muttered, grimacing at the looks he'd received from her personal troops as he'd walked past 'Not that I blame her, I may have been acquitted of Clovis' murder, but the fact remains that Zero stepped in to rescue me, embarrassing the Britannian forces in the process.'

"Some of the hostages are your friends from school aren't they?" Cecile noted, the blue haired woman working on the Lancelot's systems, keeping it prepped for launch at a moment's notice "They're still negotiating, don't worry."

"I have faith in the system." Suzaku informed her, looking out at the captured resort through Lancelot's optical sensors, magnifying the view as best he could "I prefer the logic of systems to individual emotions."

Cecile frowned sadly, looking at the young pilot in concern, only to start as he sat up straight, a look of shocked horror on his face.

"Oh god…" Suzaku breathed, his face paling as he watched several uniformed terrorists lead a bound hostage onto the roof of the tower "Don't do it-!"

The pilot's pleas went unheard, his scream echoing over the water as the terrorists pushed the desperate hostage off the roof, all on live camera, for the public to see.

* * *

"Our demands have gone unanswered." Kusakabe muttered, his hands resting on his katana as he glared out at Cornelia and her men "Therefore we will throw one hostage from the roof every thirty minutes until our terms are met. For the sake of the hostages, the negotiations better be in good faith."

'Barbarians.' Cornelia cursed, glaring at the pandemonium that had kicked off around the shoreline, as the public freaked out over this latest turnout. The purple haired Viceroy rose from her chair, Dalton and Guilford flanking her as she made her way to the Gloucester hangar.

"Milady, should we use force?" Dalton asked, the scarred Knight and founder of the Glaston Knights walking a step behind his master, his face, and that of an equally troubled Guilford, set in a mask of resolve.

"We should only assume that course of action after we've confirmed the safety of Princess Euphemia." Guilford countered, causing Cornelia to flinch ever so slightly, gritting her teeth in concern for her beloved sibling.

"Viceroy!" a soldier cried out, coming out of a side corridor at a run "It's Zero!" he exclaimed, halting the trio in their tracks "We just received a message from Zero! He's advancing on the bridge as we speak!"

'Zero?' Cornelia muttered, the purple haired Viceroy's brow furrowing in confusion, as Guilford and Dalton stared at the man in shock, her hand coming to her chin as she though this turn of events over carefully 'What is HE doing here? Is he a part of this somehow?'

"Guilford, Dalton, come with me!" the woman ordered, whirling round and marching towards the Hangar "We're going to see what Zero wants."

* * *

'Exactly as before…' Zero noted, watching through his visor as Cornelia's troops let the pilfered camera-van past, only to file in behind it in a steady file 'Letting me pass to corner me…seems Cornelia's not the type to forgive and forget.'

"ZERO!" the woman herself called out, her customized, horned Gloucester pulling up in front of the newsvan, flanked by Guilford and Dalton, all three of their purple mechs wielding their trademark Lances.

"Cornelia." The masked revolutionary greeted, one gloved hand coming out from under his cloak to his cover his chest as he bowed at the woman, who exited her Knightmare to glare at him , hand on her firearm "As ravishing as ever."

"What are you doing here, Zero?" Cornelia demanded, her features fixed in a suspicious scowl as she locked gazes with the man that had defeated her at the ghetto "Are you siding with the Japan liberation front? Or are you here to 'help' us?"

"Would you believe me if I admitted the latter?" Zero asked, earning startled whispers from the crowd as his voice carried over the speakers.

Could you blame them? The self-proclaimed murderer of Prince Clovis, suddenly offering his aid to the Witch of Britannia?

"How do I know I can trust you?" Cornelia asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she glared across at the man, though there was none of her usual venom in the stare "How do I know this isn't some ploy to take control of the situation?"

"I trusted my back to you in the Saitima ghetto." Zero reminded her, Cornelia flinching at the memory of that encounter "Not only that, but I have already voiced my opinion of those that take advantage of the defenseless." He extended his hand to the woman "We share a common trait, Cornelia; neither of us condones acts of terrorism."

Cornelia bit her lip, half of her wanting to whip out her weapon and open fire, another part wanting to order the immediate capture of the man. But another part, the part that had been growing since the incident in the ghetto, wanted to hear the man out, if only for Euphie's sake.

"I know about Euphemia." Zero stated, Cornelia's eyes widening, along with Dalton and Guilford's, as that information had been so heavily secured even the troops didn't know about the sub-viceroy's predicament, the trio noting that Zero had spoken not through the speakers, but directly to them "It is within my power to save Euphemia for you, Cornelia."

* * *

Cornelia faltered, her military discipline battling with her heart as she gazed into the reflective face of Zero's mask, trying to discern whether the man was lying. 'There's no way he could pull it off.' She muttered, biting her lip to reaffirm her resolve on the issue 'Any attempt to extract her would only put Euphie in danger!'

'But he purposely avoided mentioning her name on the airwaves.' She noted, looking at the vigilante analytically 'He made certain that only I, Dalton and Guilford, heard what he said, in case the airwaves were being monitored.'

And Zero had pulled off the impossible before, as the incidents in Shinjuku and Saitima, not to mention Kururugi's rescue, were all perfect examples of. It was like the man had the devils own luck, coupled with his own devious, strategic mind.

Without a word, the Witch of Britannian moved her Gloucester to the side, Guilford and Dalton following her example, though they regarded her with confusion as she did so, leaving room for Zero, still perched atop the news van, to pass through the blockade.

"I'll bring her back to you…" Zero offered as he rode past, Cornelia's eyes widening as she gaped at the man, having barely heard the whispered words "I swear, I'll die before I let any harm come to Euphemia…"

"What…" Cornelia began, turning to face him, only for the news van to move towards the bridge, heading for the convention center at a slightly faster pace "Zero…?"

* * *

"That was ballsy…" Tamaki muttered, the redhead rebel wiping cold sweat off his brow as they drove on towards the center, past the armed Knightmares "One wrong move and Cornelia'd be picking us off her lances."

"Zero's something else." Ohgi muttered in agreement, sitting crouched over, his hands clasped before him to ward of the trembling in his bones "I couldn't have stood before that woman and said those things."

"What do you think he said when he turned the microphone off?" one of the others asked, looking over the recording of the conversation in wonderment "Whatever it was it REALLY rocked Cornelia for a loop."

"Who cares…" Kallen muttered, biting her lip in a combination of eagerness and nerves as she pulled up in front of the center, several armed guards coming out to meet them "We're on."

* * *

Princess Euphemia Li Britannia frowned, standing tall and proud before the shocked hostages, having just revealed herself in order to prevent several of the terrorists, who had NOT taken favorably to being referred to as 'elevens', from manhandling some of the hostages.

"What's a Britannian Princess doing here without an escort?" one of the terrorists muttered, eyeing the pink haired young woman with suspicion, his firearm levelled at her "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"No, I recognize her." Another one, the apparent leader of the guards muttered, his eyes narrowing in distaste and recognition as he scanned her face "Saw her picture alongside that witch Cornelia's, that's the sub-viceroy alright."

"Sub-Viceroy…" the woman's attendant whispered, looking up at her charge imploringly as she tugged on her dress to make her see reason, all the while trying to remain as unnoticeable to the terrorist guards as possible "Stop this! There's no need-!"

"Take me to your commanding officer." Euphemia asked, looking into the guard's eyes with a regal, commanding air, ignoring the words of her attendant "I'm putting myself in his hands, provided you do not harm these people."

The guard captain frowned, pulling out a radio and making a report in high-paced Japanese, listening in for the reply before tucking the radio away with a grunt "Alright." He muttered, tilting his head towards the one that had reacted strongly to the 'Eleven' comment "You, come with me, we'll take her to the Lt. Colonel."

"Feh…" the man growled, sending a parting last glare at Nina, who recoiled as if struck, burying her face into Milly's arms as the Ashford heir and Shirley did their best to shield her.

Sending a parting look to the young, bespectacled girl, Euphemia fell into step alongside her escort, who she noted carried themselves with military discipline, or at least the apparent leader did. The one that had reacted to the 'eleven' comment kept glaring at her out the corner of his eye, but other than that, didn't outwardly show any signs of displeasure towards her.

They moved in relative silence, only the fall of their footsteps echoing through the silent hallway, the soldiers forgoing the use of the elevator as a precaution. For one thing, the tower was under emergency power, for another, there was no telling what Cornelia might try.

'Were anyone else but myself imprisoned she would have already tried something.' The princess muttered, wincing as she realized that, while her being her prevented bloodshed, it nonetheless made the situation all the more volatile 'Cornelia…'

"I've brought the prisoner I radioed about earlier." The leader explained, pulling off a salute as they neared the large, private office Kusakabe had set himself up in "She claims to be Princess Euphemia Li Britannia."

"A valid claim, it would seem." A low, cultured, modulated voice noted, the door to the room opening to reveal a masked visage that Euphemia recognized from the recordings of Suzaku's release, which had been aired all over the globe.

"Zero…?" the pink haired young woman exclaimed, looking shocked at the sudden apparrition of her half-brother's killer, the Masked Revolutionary standing no more than ten feet away from her, as calm as could be "What are you…"

"Negotiating the terms of your release." Zero replied, even as a shocked cry came from behind him, "It would seem that the Lt. Colonel and his men have performed seppuku, and wanted someone to witness their final hours."

"Suicide…?" the princess stammered, looking round, her eyes widening at the sight of the strewn corpses littered about the room, all in a series of poses that made it clear they had done themselves in "But…why…?"

"Kusakabe merely took this action to show the world the honor of the Japanese," Zero informed her, tone saddened as he watched the remaining soldiers run off, shouting at the top of their lungs that it was all over "However, he realized that such futile methods could mean nothing. After all, supposing he got his demands…how could he escape?"

"Still…" Euphemia noted, looking down at the Lt. Colonel's face, as solemn in death as it had been in life, her own features taking on a look of pained regret and pity as she held a hand to her chest "Such a waste…"

"You show compassion for those that threatened you?" Zero asked, startling the young woman with his proximity to her shoulder, his masked gaze locked onto Kusakabe "Even after he killed some of the hostages?"

"Violence is never the answer." Euphemia countered, her face setting in resolve as she looked at the man that killed her brother "If a means can be found to negotiate without the loss of life, then we, as a people, should strive for it-!"

She flinched as Zero's hand came up, half expecting him to strike her, only to blink as his gloved hand caressed her cheek, blinking at her reflection in his helmet.

"You haven't changed…Euphemia…" the vigilante intoned, his voice laced with a hint of approval, remembrance and…sadness "Willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, for the safety of the commoners…"

"Zero…?" the pink haired princess wondered, looking at the man in confusion, feeling a strange feeling of comfort from his hand on her cheek, only to blink as he swept his cloak aside, her eyes widening as the vigilante sank down on one knee, hand over his heart.

"Euphemia Li Britannia…" Zero greeted, his head bowed low, chin resting on his chest in submission "Here and now, I, Zero, wish to assure you of my loyalty and devotion to the cause of peace." He raised his head, Euphemia somehow feeling the intensity of the man's invisible stare as he held her hand "I shall do everything in my power…to ensure the world you just described comes to pass."

* * *

R.R:...Wow...thatwas moving.

C.C: Indeed...he truly did wish to see Euphemia's dream suceed the first time round...

R.R: and since he knows the dangers of geass this time round, I don't think we need to worry about a certain 'massacre princess' showing up.

Kogarashi: Kukuku...indeed, master's friend is quite clever.

Lulu: NOT THE PADDLE! (CRACK, girlish scream).

Kogarashi: Even if he is a weak little crybaby.

Sayoko: Now, now, Otou-sama...


	10. Chapter 10

Here he comes, here comes the plot twist! Watch him screw with your minds!

Kogarashi: Kukuku...kind of catchy!

R.R: If a bit redundant.

Kyugan: Assholes the lot of you.

R.R: And speaking of assholes...

Lelouch: NOT THE BANANA!

Kyugan: Eesh...I am both envious and grateful that I'm not in his shoes right now.

R.R: Don't you mean sheets?

Kyugan: Just roll the bloody camera.

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Knights for Justice.

"T-this is all my fault…" Nina sobbed, the introverted, bespectacled girl holding onto Milly for dear life as she tried to force back her tears, her face buried in the older girl's breasts "If I hadn't said anything…if I'd never come…"

"Don't talk like that." The Ashford heir urged, shaking the overly shy girl gently, hugging her close to her chest, heedless of the tears staining her new clothing "None of us knew this was going to happen."

"B-but…!" Nina exclaimed, the introverted young girl's eyes filled with tears as she gazed up at the class president desperately, as if begging for this nightmare to end "B-because of me…Princess Euphemia…!"

"She'd have been discovered eventually." Shirley assured the girl, though even she was feeling a little uncomfortable with the current situation "I mean SOMEONE was sure to notice her. And she's the sub-Viceroy of Area 11, they wouldn't harm such a valuable hostage."

"Don't be so certain." A gruff voice countered, the trio flinching as they looked up to find one of the guards standing over them, looking smug "Lt. Colonel Kusakabe isn't the forgiving type, and he despises Britannia more than anyone." He smirked "I wouldn't be surprised if he roughed her up a bit, just to drive the nail home."

"You beast!" Nina railed, whipping round to glare desperately at the offending guard, only to flinch as the man aimed his rifle at her threateningly, Milly and Shirley covering her with their own bodies without a second thought.

"Watch your tongue, bitch." The man warned, his tone mocking "Though maybe we should thank you, you've given us such a valuable hostage after all." His smirk grew decidedly sinister as he cocked his rifle "In fact…with a Princess of the Empire as ransom…what do we need riffraff like YOU for?"

The hostages gasped, looking around in alarm to find that several other members of the guard had similar expressions on their faces, the group screaming in panic as the rifles came to bear on them, Shirley's eyes snapping closed in desperation.

'Lulu-!'

The doors burst open, the guards whipping round, only to be gunned down, their rifles falling from nerveless fingers as figures in black jackets and visored hats swept into the room.

'Those aren't military uniforms…' Milly wondered, looking on in wonder as their rescuers crouched, checking the crowd for injured, some of them finishing off the guards that survived the original salvo 'And those voices…Elevens?'

"All the hostages secured." One of the rescuers noted, nodding to a female with spiky red hair beneath her cap, who nodded, before dashing off down the hall "Alright, all of you, follow us to the exits."

"Who…who are you?" Shirley asked, the confused orangette flinching slightly as the obvious eleven turned his visored gaze towards her, though it was without hostility "You aren't military…who are you with?"

"We're with Zero." The visor-sporting man replied, shocked gasps filling the chamber as the hostages reacted to the vigilante's name, wondering what on earth he wanted "He sent us in to get you people out."

"Zero?" Shirley repeated, the confusion on her face shared by several other hostages, who were talking amongst themselves in disbelief, though some of them seemed hopefull "But…why would…?"

"No time for talk." The man interrupted, his tone strict and to the letter as he gestured towards the door, where two black-clad members were sweeping the hallway "We have to get you out NOW."

"W-WAIT!" a desperate voice called out, the group turning to find Nina leaning against Milly, the bespectacled girl looking frantic, torn between her fear of elevens and her concern for a certain, pink haired royal "Princess Euphemia-!"

"Zero said he'd handle her personally." The man stated, his tone reassuring, though several members of the crowd still gasped in shock, and concern, only for him to gesture towards the hallway "Now come on!"

The hostages did so, though internally, they prayed for Euphemia's safety, many of them fearing that Zero was about to add another Royal to his list of murders.

* * *

To say Euphemia was shocked would have been the understatement of the millennium. The pink haired princess, and Sub-Viceroy to Japan, or Area 11 if you shared the Emperor's view of the nation, could do little more than gape down at the form of her brother's killer, as he knelt before her in a sign of servitude.

But then could you blame the young woman for her confusion? She had gone from willing captive and bargaining tool to having the man that publicly admitted to murdering Clovis kneeling before her, declaring his loyalty to her ideals of bringing peace and equality to all those wronged by her father's ambitions.

It certainly cast a very different picture than the one she'd been presented by both the military and Cornelia. Prior to coming to Japan, Euphemia had cast Zero as a revolutionary that would resort to any means, even murder, to achieve his goals.

Now here, standing before her, his masked visage bowed in servitude, she realized that she knew next to nothing about this man, save that he seemed to consider himself the enemy of Britannia.

'Then there's his words…' she wondered, recalling how FAMILIAR the man had seemed with her, how he hinted that he knew her, or had met with her in the past 'Could he be someone I know…a member of the court?'

That, and it was clear that Zero wasn't much taller than she was, Euphemia noting with a slight giggle that he might actually be shorter, as the helmet and cape probably gave him a few extra inches.

A series of knocks came form the door, Euphemia whirling round just in time to find a woman in a black uniform standing in the doorway, her spiky red hair tamed by the visored cap she wore.

"Zero, all the hostages have been accounted for." The woman reported, pulling herself up straight as she caught sight of Euphemia, the princess shivering slightly at the animosity she sensed in the redhead's hidden stare "What should we do next?"

"Order a withdraw." Zero announced, rising to his feet with a smooth, fluid motion, stepping in front of the startled Euphemia, as if to shield her from the redhead's piercing gaze "Have the hostages evacuated as I instructed, extraction method Alpha."

"Got it." the redhead nodded, before turning her head to regard the confused Euphemia, who thought she detected a hint of suspicion and…jealousy, in the smaller woman's stare "What about her?"

Zero turned, Euphemia blinking as the vigilante extended a gloved hand towards her, as a lord might ask for a lady's hand during a dance, the other hand tucked under his mantle. "Come, Euphemia." The masked man offered, his tone both soothing and inviting as he gestured towards the open doorway "Your transportation has been arranged."

Euphemia blinked looking at the offered hand in surprise, for some reason a fleeting image of the first ball she'd attended rising to the fore of her mind, where she'd met with her step-brother Lelouch for the first time.

The younger boy had asked to dance with her, taking her away from the sheltering eyes of Cornelia to twirl her around the hall, the two of them laughing like the children they were, heedless of anyone else.

'No…it couldn't be…' Euphemia wondered, even as she placed her hand into his, allowing the masked vigilante to lead her out of the room and down the hall 'Could he be…?'

* * *

Cornelia pursed her lips, one gloved finger tapping against her arm as she gazed across the water at the distant form of the seized convention center.

It had been about half an hour since Zero and his cronies went in, and yet the terrorists hadn't carried out their threat to toss another hostage off the roof. There were still sentries up there, evident from the diligence in sniping anyone that came to close, but they seemed to be just as confused as anyone else.

'Just what are you doing in there…Zero?' the Witch of Britannia wondered, recalling their conversation from the Saitima Ghetto with a scowl 'He's made his disdain for the empire, or rather the way father runs it, quite clear already…' she narrowed her eyes at the screen 'Don't tell me…he plans to use Euphemia against father?' she shook her head, dismissing that idea off the bat 'No, he's stated his disgust for such actions…' she growled softly 'Dammit…what is he thinking?!'

"Milady." Dalton muttered, the bespectacled Knight's words only reaching Cornelia's ear, so as to avoid eavesdropping "Are you certain we should entrust the safety of Princess Euphemia to Zero?"

"Of course not." Cornelia muttered, internally berating herself for her brief moment of hesitancy before answering, before snapping fully into full strategic mode, making a mental list of all the worst possible outcomes "Kusakabe's probably got him discussing terms of an alliance with the Japanese Liberation Front."

A grim prospect indeed. Zero was formidable enough on his own thus far, backed up with nothing but common rebels and resistance cells. But the JLF consisted of the former Japanese military, veteran soldiers that refused to surrender, despite the war being officially over.

'On top of that, they have Todoh with them.' the Viceroy muttered darkly, referring to the infamous 'Miracle Worker' who had handed the Britannian forces their sole defeat in the history of their conquests 'If those two joined against us…'

"Should we begin making preparations of our own?" Guilford asked, only to receive a grim nod from the Viceroy, bowing as he took his leave to inform the relevant persons, leaving Cornelia to her thoughts.

* * *

"We've got the green light!" Lloyd cheered, the androgynous scientist giving a thumbs-up to the confused, antsy Suzaku, who'd been fidgeting in his seat ever since the first hostage had been executed "Seems Viceroy Cornelia's getting impatient," he added, tone suggestive "so she wants Lancelot to go in and take out the Linear cannon."

"Finally." Suzaku muttered, the recently promoted warrant officer pulling out his jumpsuit, tugging the memory-material on as her settled into the cockpit of the experimental Frame "We finally get so see some-!"

"Lloyd! Suzaku-kun!" Cecile cried out, the Lancelot's assistant technician rushing up to the mech with a frantic expression on her face, her blue hair in disarray as she raced towards them at top speed.

"My-my Cecile…" Lloyd teased, pushing his spectacles higher on his nose, a sly smile on his face as the normally reserved woman came to a stop before him, bent over double from exhaustion "Are you that eager to launch as well?"

"Just now…on the news…" Cecile panted, the blue haired woman trying to talk between desperate gasps for air, her hands resting on her knees as she gazed up at them "Zero's…saved the hostages!"

"He WHAT?!" Lloyd whined, the lord of pudding's eyes widening in surprise as they snapped towards the news broadcast, gaping in shock as the reporter relayed the news, before slumping, looking distraught as Suzaku, gaped at the woman in shock "And we were all set to launch too-!"

'Zero…' Suzaku wondered, ignoring Lloyd's childish whining, and Cecile telling the man off for his twisted way of thinking, in favor of activating the Lancelot's optics, zooming in on the water around the convention center, where several lifeboats were visible, filled to the brim with passengers.

'He did it again…' the teen noted, a disapproving scowl marring his features as he caught sight of the vigilante standing on the prow of a speedboat in the middle of the life-rafts 'Using the wrong methods, he STILL managed to save everyone…'

Tearing his eyes away from glaring at the victorious vigilante's masked visage, the recently promoted Warrant Officer's eyes widened as he caught sight of a familiar head of pink hair standing alongside the vigilante, holding onto Zero's arm for support as the deck rocked beneath her feet.

"EUPHEMIA?!"

* * *

"My dear Britannian's, have no fear." Zero called out, his voice transmitting all across Japan, people pausing in the streets to gaze up at him in alarm, only to blink in confusion as the camera switched to a cut of several life rafts "All of the hostages have been released safe and sound, thanks to the combined efforts of myself, and Princess Euphemia Li Britannia."

The public gaped, looking on in awe as the pink haired princess and sub-viceroy appeared next to the vigilante, looking as surprised as any of them, but most certainly unharmed.

Which raised more than a few eyebrows, and not just amongst the Britannians. Had Zero not declared himself an enemy of Britannia? Had he not publicly admitted to killing the former Viceroy, Prince Clovis? Why then, was he not only standing next to one of the royal family, but praising her?

"In an act of devotion, her highness put her own life at risk to negotiate with the Lt. Colonel Kusakabe, who took his own life in repentance for his transgressions." Zero continued, spreading a hand to the side to gesture to the startled princess "I, Zero, witnessed this act of bravery, and so offered the aid of myself, and my men, to return your loved ones to you unharmed."

Now lights blazed to life behind the duo, the public's eyes widening as several figures in black uniforms, their faces hidden behind the low visors of the black hats they wore, standing at attention, two figures, one on either side of Zero and Euphie, bowing lightly towards the camera.

"People!" Zero called out, his tone reaching out to not only the Britannians, but those Japanese citizens fortunate enough to witness the broadcast "Fear us! Or Rally behind us as you see fit." He thrust a hand out to the side "We…are the Black Knights!"

Euphemia blinked, noting the irony of the terrorists referring to themselves by the exalted title of 'Knights', which was associated with Britannia in almost every way. Only those of great skill could earn the title, even Nobility couldn't make up for a lack of ability, and most of those who attained it had done so whilst furthering Britannia's control across the globe.

"We of the Black Knights stand beside all those without weapons to wield." Zero continued, "Regardless of whether they be Japanese," he emphasized the TRUE name for effect "OR Britannians."

Several of the rescued hostages gaped at the man, wondering what on earth he was talking about. Why would Britannian's need help from Terrorists?

As if sensing their confusion, Zero swept his arm towards them "The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them!" he exclaimed, the disdain in his tone apparent "It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished." He clenched his hand over his heart "Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished, for ordering the deaths of countless unarmed Japanese citizens."

Euphemia flinched at that, though the revelation that her brother had innocent bystanders executed came as a surprise to her as well. Had her brother actually ordered such a thing?

"We cannot stand by and allow such acts of cruelty to be carried out." Zero continued, his tone solemn and determined "I will not refute battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I abide a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong!" The camera zoomed in on his helmet "The only ones that should kill, are those who are prepared to BE killed!"

* * *

Across the bridge, Cornelia's eyes narrowed at the way the vigilante was using the crowd to his advantage, though internally, she both applauded his tactics, and agreed with his words.

She'd met more than a few nobles that cowered in their seats whilst directing countless shoulders on the battlefield. All of her opponents on the battlefield had faced her head on, and so knew the penalties of failure, Cornelia could respect even her enemies for challenging their deaths head on.

Nothing disgusted her more than cowardly braggarts that took all the glory without getting their hands dirty. Sadly enough, her father seemed determined to marry her off to men that were of that self same caliber.

'Why is it all the GOOD men have to be enemies?' she muttered, her scowl softening slightly as she glanced out over the water at the masked form of Zero, a contemplative expression replacing it after a few seconds.

* * *

"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we SHALL appear again!" Zero warned the world at large, his voice carrying the deadly promise to the masses "No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be!"

He swept one arm out from under his cape "Those of you with power, FEAR us!" he swept the other out, his cape billowing out like wings "Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones that stand in judgment of this world!"

'He certainly knows how to work a crowd…' Euphemia noted, watching on as the civilians gaped at them in stunned awe, as if struck dumb by the masked man's words 'Now, even those that would denounce him as a terrorist can't help but acknowledge him.'

"Zero." One of the newly appointed Black Knights whispered, startling Euphemia, who had almost forgotten they were there, turning to find the assembled men and women frowning at her in suspicion "What'll we do with…?"

"Princess Euphemia is not to be harmed." Zero intoned, his hand coming up to shield Euphemia's face from their sight, his tone commanding "I gave my word to Cornelia that I would return her, unharmed."

"But…" the redhead from before began, looking about in concern, her anxiety apparent as she took in the assembled troops that even now were mounting a rescue party "Cornelia'd never let us just walk away…"

"She won't have to." Zero assured his subordinate, pressing a button on a remote control, lowering one of the yacht's personal lifeboats towards the water "Your transportation awaits, Euphemia."

The Sub-Viceroy blinked, looking at the hand Zero offered her, before tentatively placing her hand in it, allowing him to lead her down to the small boat.

'He seems so…gentle.' She noted, looking at her rescuer as he commanded the Knights to make preparations for their escape via the waterways 'So focused, so commanding…but at the same time, I get the feeling that he wasn't lying before.'

"I regret that we couldn't have more time together, Euphemia." Zero offered, his tone sad, filled with honest regret, as he stroked her cheek in passing "I pray our next encounter will be more…fulfilling."

Euphemia blushed, her words catching in her throat, the question she longed to ask the man dieing away as her craft touched the water. She stood up, moving to the prow to gaze after the boat as it sped away, leaving her bobbing on the water, along with the other hostages.

"Zero…" she wondered, even as several police rescue boats moved in from the shore, surrounding the hostages even as helicopters and sutherlands took off after the fleeing yacht, their sirens tearing into the night "Could you really be…?"

* * *

"A toast." Zero proclaimed, the masked revolutionary holding up a glass of sparkling champagne as he lounged on the sofa in the Black Knights trailer "To a successful mission, and the Black Knights debut."

"KAMPAI!" Tamaki cheered, the rebels mimicking him as they tapped glasses, chatting animatedly amongst themselves as they did so.

The Knights had led the police on a merry chase, before ditching the stolen yacht, which ironically belonged to the convention center in the first place, and escaping into the sewers, where the transport was waiting to speed them away. Zero had then surprised them all by breaking out a bottle of champagne, proposing a toast to their first successful mission.

Many of them were amazed at the level of faith the man had in them if he prepared such a surprise in advance. Others, most notably Tamaki, Ohgi and Kallen, simply marveled at how far the man thought ahead.

"But do not let your guard down." Zero warned them, his serious tone cutting through their revelry "After all, this is but the first of many trials to come." He clenched his fist "But we shall face them head on, TOGETHER!"

Kallen smiled, leaning against the wall on the upper level as the cheers erupted around her, twirling her champagne around in its glass as the revelry picked up again.

'We've come so far…' she mused, recalling how, prior to now, every day had been a battle for survival, a battle they'd been losing badly 'We'd have probably been wiped out in Shinjuku…' he eyes lowered as she recalled the first time she'd heard Zero's voice 'if it weren't for him…'

"Not drinking, Kallen?" a familiar voice asked, the redhead looking up in surprise to find Zero himself standing next to her, his own glass untouched "I thought I'd come up for some privacy…is there something wrong?"

"Just…reminiscing." The redhead admitted, flushing slightly at the revolutionary's proximity, before looking away to hide her embarassment "I mean…all of this…we couldn't have done this without you."

"I merely guided you here." Zero countered, reaching out and holding the redhead's chin, forcing her to look up at him "Everything we have achieved, has been the result of everyone's struggles."

"Zero…" Kallen flushed, her face lighting up like her hair at the closeness of the man's mask, reaching up with her free hand to touch it, only for Zero's own hand to cover hers, halting her in her tracks.

"Not yet…" the Vigilante muttered, his tone almost regretful "One day, soon, I will reveal myself to you all…" he held up his glass "But for today…let us join our comrades."

Kallen blinked, before nodding, knocking glasses with the vigilante, looking on as he walked down the steps to the party below, a smile on her face.

* * *

"Welcome home, Master Lelouch." Sayoko greeted, Nunnally's caretaker, and secret inheritor to a ninja style, smiling at the elder Lamperouge as the door shut behind him "Did you complete all your errands?"

"Yeah, though traffic was held up because of the hostage situation." Lelouch informed her, which technically wasn't a lie, as Cornelia had literally stopped the city in her desperation to rescue her beloved sibling "Is everyone alright?"

"Zero rescued them." Sayoko informed him, the maid looking torn between relief, confusion, and pride as she said it, her handsl held clasped before her apron "Master Rivalz called in a few moments ago looking for you."

"I'll get back to him later." Lelouch sighed, knowing he was in for an earful come the morrow, when Shirley and the others returned. No dout he'd have to put up with Rivalz's overglorifying of the situation again as well "Did you save some dinner for me?"

"Of course. OH!" the maid exclaimed, a look of surprise on her face, as if she suddenly recalled something important that had slipped her mind "And you have a visitor, he's with Miss Nunnally in the dining room."

"A Visitor?" Lelouch wondered, quirking an eyebrow in confusion, walking towards the room where he and Nunnally usually ate "At this hour?"

Not only that, but he had no recollection of anyone, other than Milly and the Dean, EVER visiting them after hours. All the other Student council members were in their dorms at this time of night, only the Ashfords came, and Milly usually slipped him a note during council session, either from herself, or her Grandfather when either planned to stop by.

"Wow!" Nunnally exclaimed, the blind girl's face a mask of unreserved delight as she smiled down at her plate, which Lelouch noted, with surprise and growing premonition, was covered in Orange slices "These are delicious!"

"But of course." A cultured, shockingly familiar voice replied, Lelouch freezing in the doorway as his visitor leant forward to wipe juice from his sister's cheek with a gilded napkin "I brought only the finest with me."

The man turned in his seat, Lelouch's eyes widening in disbelief as the smiling face of none other than Jeremiah Gottwald came into view, the nobleman wearing a pair of tinted sunglasses that obscurred his eyes from view.

"Would you care to try one?" the former margrave asked, holding up a freshly peeled Orange for Lelouch to see "They truly are delicious…my Lord."

* * *

dun-Dun-DUNNN!

R.R: Okay...now there's a mind f-ck!

Kyugan: i do my best.

Kogarashi: Kukuku! Master's friend is in for a shock!

Kyugan true that.

Omake Time!

Omake: The Black Knight

Euphemia grimaced, her hand going to her chest as she stared down the barrels of the guns that Kusakabe's guards were levelling at her. The was sitting, calm as could be with his hands resting on the pommel of his katana, his bearded face solemn, though his eyes danced with victory.

"Now then..." the bearded militant noted, looking the princess in the eye as he spoke "Are you QUITE certain that the emperor won't bend to our demands when one of his own beloved children are at stake?"

"My father and sister share the same ideals when it comes to terrorism." Euphemia replied, her voice free of fear and uncertainty, causing several of the guards to narrow their eyes in anger, as they felt like she was looking down on them "He's more likely to wait for you to kill me, to give him a reason to send in the troops."

"Is that so?" Kusakabe muttered, his features darkening as he glowered at the pinkette, his tempe slowly getting the better of him "Well that may be true for your father..." he drew his katana, aiming it at the girl's throat "But I have a sneaking suspicion that your loving sister has other thoughts on the matter."

Euphemia flinched, a drop of blood trailing from her neck where the tip of the sword had pricked her, matching Kusakabe's stare defiantly, only to blink, as movement out the corner of her eyes drew her attention to the window.

"What are you-?" Kusakabe wondered, only to blink, his eyes widening as he espied a winged shadow flying towards the window, as if it were rappeling towards it from the roof, a semi-automatic held in it's hands "BATTLE STATIONS-!"

Machine gun fire sprayed into the room, the guards, ironically caught off guard themselves, falling in a hail of bullets, though Euphemia noted that most of their wounds seemed unfatal.

Kusakabe, ducking under the hail, was knocked onto his back as the caped assailant crashed through the ruined window, his boot connecting with the bearded man's chin, knocking him to the floor as the cape settled over them like a shroud, his eyes widening at the smoking barrell of the firearm aimed at his face.

"Surrender..." the assailant warned, Kusakabe and Euphemia blining as they recognised it as Zero, the self-same revolutionary that had publicly admitted to murdering the latter's elder brother, Crown Prince Clovis "And release the hostages."

"Why are you doing this?!" Kusakabe demanded, even as the groans of his men filled the air, "You're an enemy of the state! Your poster's on every wanted board in the nation! You're just like us!"

Zero leaned in, his helmet's visor like a hawks as Kusakabe stared into it's reflective black surface, the wieght of the revolutionary's hidden, piercing gaze, pinning the man to the floor.

"I'm nothing like you." the revolutionary hissed, even as a slot appeared in his helemet, and Kusakabe's world went red.


	11. Chapter 11

A little gift for DarkSamuraiX1999, in thanks for a truly devious christmas gift.

Kogarashi: Kukuku...the gift that keeps on giving.

R.R: Hush you.

Kyugan: I'm the giving type, after all, I gave Lelouch an actuall Harem.

Lelouch: I'M GONNA DIE!!!!

R.R: Didn't he already HAVE a harem?

Kyugan: True, but I also gave him the stamina to survive having one.

R.R: Ah...good call.

Kyugan: Just so...and on that note...

* * *

Chapter ten: Knight of Orange.

"Jeremiah?" Lelouch stammered, gaping at the Britannian nobleman in shock, and a little bit of fear. What was the disgraced Margrave doing here? Had he somehow figured out Zero's identity? Was he here for revenge?

"Big Brother, Mr. Jeremiah says he was once a member of mother's royal guard!" Nunnally spoke up, looking up at her elder brother with an excited smile "Try one of the oranges he brought! They're really sweet!"

"Not as sweet as you, fair maiden." The green haired noble flattered, earning a giggle from the blind Lamperouge "Now if you would please excuse us, Miss Nunnally," he offered, bowing to the girl as he spoke "your brother and I have something to discuss in private."

Lelouch frowned, looking into the eyes of the former commander of his mother's guard, before nodding, leading the way to his room as Sayoko came in to help Nunnally off to bed.

"A truly amazing woman." Jeremiah noted, the green haired margrave looking over his shoulder as the maid escorted the younger Lamperouge away with a look of approval "To think she was of such a humble station…"

"Sayoko has been with us since we arrived at the academy." Lelouch informed the man, pausing in front of his room and opening the door "She's gone out of her way to ensure Nunnally's safety, whenever I can't be there for her."

"A fact that makes her all the more trustworthy." Jeremiah noted, his voice laced with respectful pride as he stepped into the room after the elder Lamperouge, nodding to C.C as the witch looked up from her pizza "Milady."

"Jeremiah." C.C greeted, Lelouch idly wondering if the look of surprise in the immortal witche's eyes had been real, or if she'd only paused to finish her mouthful, even as she held up a fresh slice for them to see "Care for some?"

"No, thank you." The former Margrave refused, holding up a hand "I never developed a taste for fast food, you know that." He turned to face Lelouch, who had closed the door behind them, kneeling before the teen, a hand over his breast "It is good to see you, my Lord."

"So you remember." Lelouch noted, the elder Lamperouge locking the door behind him as he gazed down at the older Britannian, a weight lifting from his shoulders as he gestrued for his mother's former guard to rise "How long have you been 'awake'?"

"It occurred shortly after the incident at the Saitima ghetto." Jeremiah admitted, rising to his feet and removing his sunglasses "My Sutherland was damaged during the attack on the command center, some of the shrapnel damaged my eye."

He removed his sunglasses, revealing the familiar sight of his artificial eye for Lelouch to see, the skin around it marred only by a slight burn scar.

"It was shortly after I recovered that I was struck by a feeling of…familiarity." Jeremiah continued, covering his left eye, almost reverently "Almost immediately, it felt like a dam had burst inside my head, and like my eyes had opened for the first time."

"I felt something similar." C.C admitted off-handedly, drawing the duo's attention to herself as she pressed a finger to her lips, as if in throught "It was after I took the bullet for you back in the ghetto, when you first awakened."

"Interesting." Lelouch muttered, the former Demon Emperor holding his chin as he took this information in, as it WAs food for thought, before gazing up at his mother's former guard "Did anyone else remember anything?"

"Not that I could tell." Jeremiah denied, shaking his head briefly, though his features were dismissive "But then again, Kewel and the others, with the exception of Villetta, aren't on the best of terms with 'orange' at the moment."

"Well thank heaven for small mercies." Lelouch sighed, looking up at the former margrave with a wry smirk that spoke volumes, "No offence Jeremiah, but your former second-in-command and Zero were never on the best of terms."

"Regrettable, but understandable, my lord." Jeremiah replied, bowing his head slightly in understanding, before looking his lord in the eyes "Still, what are your plans for the future? Do you intend to oppose the emperor again?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Lelouch queried, quirking an eyebrow and walking over to his computer, sitting down in the chair with a sigh "Charles' fall took longer last time because I was impetuous…and naive." He looked up, his eye narrowing with determination "This time, all the pieces are in MY hand…or soon will be at any rate."

"What of Rollo?" the former margrave asked, refferring to the young, impressionable Geass Assassin that had been assigned to Lelouch before, looking over at his master with concern whilst leaning against the wall "And the Geass order? If Lady C.C remembers…"

"The fact you and I are still alive and breathing should answer that question." Lelouch replied, smirking coldly at the mention of his immortal, shotacon uncle "If V.V remembered what happened, then he would have already informed Charles."

"And we'd be fighting for our lives." Jeremiah agreed, holding his chin as he nodded, a light of understanding in his eyes "By the way, I witnessed your broadcast with Princess Euphemia…a masterful stroke milord."

"Euphemia's was the one of the few deaths I truly regretted about the war." Lelouch admitted, his gaze heavy and withdrawn, as he recalled gunning down his sibling, having unwittingly used his Geass on her "This time, we do things right."

"Speaking of which," the former Demon Emperor noted, sitting up and smiling at the former Margrave "It's fortunate that you came Jeremiah…It'll make planning my next move all the easier from now on."

"You're referring to the assault on the JLF's headquarters in the Narita Mountains?" Jeremiah noted, his features hardening with military discipline as he recalled how THAT scenario had played out last time "What do you need of me?"

* * *

'Amazing!' Kallen breathed, looking up in wonder, even as the new recruit's cries of jubilation echoed around her. The Resistance in Kyoto had sent over several customized Burai units, the modified Glasgows adding to the Black Knight's existing unit of pilfered Sutherlands.

But Kallen wasn't interested in those. Having piloted Glasgows in the past, she knew the limits of the outdated Frames. The Sutherlands were vastly superior in terms of power and mobility, but even they paled in comparison to the vision in red, silver and gold standing before her.

"The Gurren MKII…" she wondered, looking over the tall, aptly named frame, which was the first original Japanese Knightmare to ever be produced. Just going over the manual for it had been breathtaking, the whole thing was completely different from the Britannian Frames she'd piloted before.

"They're certainly in high spirits." A familiar, modulated voice noted, Kallen whipping round just as Zero stepped out of the shadows next to her "They seem to forget that we're not the only ones being sponsored by Kyoto."

"Well, yeah…" Kallen reasoned, the redhead Knightmare pilot smiling confidently at their leader, once again startled by his ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere "But the fact that we ARE receiving aid from them means that we're…"

"At the starting line." Zero cut in, the masked revolutionary walking up beside her and standing before the Gurren, looking up at the crimson mech "This is all an elaborate test, Kallen, Kyoto wishes to see our resolve for themselves."

"Even if it is…" Kallen insisted, the redheaded half-britanian trying to press the importance of the situation onto the masked Vigilante, though she could see the sense in his words if she was honest with herself "This is still-!"

"I can understand your enthusiasm." Zero assured her, cutting her off once again, his modulated voice sounding oddly warm and approving "You've been fighting alone for so long, it's good to know that your efforts are being rewarded." He reached into his cloak "Speaking of which…"

Kallen blinked, catching the item Zero tossed to her, blinking in confusion at the odd, feather shaped key in her hand.

"The Gurren MKII is yours now, Kallen." Zero informed her, the redhead's eyes widening in disbelief at the masked man's words "I feel that as the Black Knight's finest pilot, it would serve you better than myself."

"B-but we can't afford to lose you!" Kallen insisted, looking away from the masked man, desperately fighting down her blush for the compliment, as well as the eager thrill at the idea of being the first to pilot the FIRST non-Britannian Knightmare of it's kind "The Gurren's defenses can protect you better-!"

She froze as Zero's gloved hand touched her cheek, forcing her to look up into her own startled reflection in his mask.

"The Gurren is simply a weapon, Kallen." The vigilante informed the redhead "That is why I'm giving it to you. I trust you to wield it to it's fullest."

Kallen blinked, bowing her head so that her bangs hid her eyes, too embarrassed to speak, only to blink as Zero turned on his heel and walked away, turning to listen to Ohgi, who had just brought the man some new Intel.

* * *

"This is nice." Nunnally smiled, the blind angel sitting at the breakfast table with Lelouch, a humming Sayoko moving around in the background, tidying up after them "We haven't had breakfast together for a while."

"I didn't want to leave on my trip without seeing you." Lelouch explained, smiling at the girl as he helped slice up her pancakes for her "Here, open wide."

Nunnally giggled, but nonetheless complied, allowing her brother to feed her whilst Sayoko looked on in bemused approval, deciding to let the siblings have their moment together as she slipped out stealthily, like the ninja she was.

'I won't make her suffer like she did before.' Lelouch promised, watching as Nunnally chewed away happily, a smile on her beaming face that was a stark contrast to the look of agonized grief she'd worn on his death bed 'I'll spend as much time with her as I can…'

"It's nice to spend time with you again, brother." Nunnally spoke up, interrupting Lelouch's morbid train of thought to beam at him in adoration "I was worried that I'd have to ask Sayoko to buy some needles."

'Now there's a painful prospect.' Lelouch muttered, recalling how effective the Japanese woman had been during the war, and not just with her impressive physical abilies 'I don't think even Suzaku could beat her…'

"Master Lelouch?" Sayoko called out, the ninja-maid interrupting the conversation with a worried look on her face, nodding towards the clock on the wall as Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at her for the interruption "The time…"

"Thank you, Sayoko." Lelouch offered, the elder Lamperouge finishing off his own breakfast in due order, before kissing Nunnally on the head and ruffling her hair "I'll be back in three days, take care until then, alright?"

"Okay…" Nunnally sighed, internally sad that her brother was leaving, but understanding that, as an elder brother, there were times he needed to get out on his own. Frankly, she'd been getting worried about him, staying cooped up in their home for hours on end.

'I wonder…' she hummed, holding a finger to her lips in thought 'Could he be seeing anyone?'

Sayoko looked up, her face a mask of confusion, as a sneeze sounded from the direction of Lelouch' room. She could have sworn the young master had already left.

* * *

"We're certain that the Japan Liberation Front's headquarters are in this Area." Dalton reported, standing before Cornelia as the command center drew close to the mountains "We've already split up four battalions and hidden them in the vicinity, all we need is the Viceroy's signal and we'll surround them in one fell swoop and wipe them out."

"Sister…" Euphemia voiced, the pink haired princess looking up at her elder sibling, who was seated once more on her command chair "Are you confident that the enemy won't show up outside the encirclement line?"

"You mean Zero?" Cornelia asked, one leg crossed over the other as she sat in her chair, Guilford at her side as Dalton reassured her sibling "If Zero does show up, we can call up the reserve units to finish him off."

Euphemia frowned, honestly uncertain as to how she felt about that statement. On the one hand, bringing Clovis' murderer to justice seemed like the right thing to do. On the other, she still recalled Zero's words and actions from the hostage incident, how he'd pledged loyalty to her dream of a better world.

'How did he know about my dreams?' she wondered, looking back on the memory of that encounter, even as Cornelia rose from her seat to board her Knightmare 'The only ones that know about my ambition to change the empire are Cornelia and…'

Her eyes widened, recalling the only other person she'd informed of her dream, back when they were children together, playing in the royal gardens.

'It can't be…!' she breathed, one hand flying to her mouth, waving aside the words of concern from her guard as she recalled the smiling, purple eyed boy that had looked up to her and Cornelia whenever they came to visit 'Lelouch…?'

"Milady?" a voice called out, Euphemia looking up to find a concerned looking guard with a phone in his hands "A message for you…"

Euphemia blinked, accepting the receiver from the man and holding it to her ear with a confused expression "Hello?"

"Its me, Euphemia." A familiar, modulated voice greeted warmly, Euphemia's eyes widening as she fought the urge to shout the man's name aloud, looking around in concern to see if she'd drawn undue attention "I have information for you…"

"Why should I listen?" Euphemia asked, calming herself as Cornelia had taught her, a small frown marring her features as she reminded herself this was Clovis' murderer she was talking to, and that her suspicions could be just that "Why should I trust a word you say?"

"Have I not vowed my allegiance to your dream of a peaceful world?" Zero asked, the princess' resolve faltering for a second at those words "I merely thought to warn you that there's a plausible chance that civilians will be caught up in the battle today."

Euphemia's eyes widened, gaping in shock at the vigilante's words as she gripped the receiver tightly in her gloved hands.

"Only you can prevent loss of innocent life, Euphemia." Zero intoned, his voice both soothing and reassuring despite the distance between them "Euphemia, I know you will not allow a single drop of innocent blood to be spilled."

Euphemia exhaled, closing her eyes to steady herself, wishing she could ask the question that so eagerly vied for freedom in her breast, but smothered the urge, as there were too many witnesses, and always a possibility that the line was being tapped.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

"Hey, Are you sure about this?" Ohgi asked, looking on in confusion, and a little concern, as the excavators they brought with them burrowed into the soil of the mountain, several other members of the Black Knights sharing his concern.

"Our opponent is Cornelia Li Britannia." Zero informed the former resistance leader "Whose forces are among the best Britannia has to offer." He nodded towards the excavators "With these, we can level the playing field in our favor."

"If that's the case, shouldn't we help out the JLF?" Ohgi wondered, the former school teacher turned revolutionary looking down at the mountain, where the Liberation Front's headquarters was supposed to be hidden.

"Todoh and the Four Holy Swords are already on their way." Zero informed the man, earning gasps of shock from the Black Knights, as the five warriors were the most famous Knightmare Pilots in the JLF, even from before the war with Britannia "However, they won't be working with us, but neither will they fight against us."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend huh?" Ohgi reasoned, nodding his head in understanding, as it caertainly made a lot of sense "Right, I can see how that works…" he trailed off as aircraft flew in from all sides.

"It's begun." Zero noted, the masked Vigilante stepping forward even as a distraught Tamaki voiced his concerns on the matter, quite vocally at that "Everyone," he called out, drawing the Knight's attention to himself with a raised hand "prepare to move out."

"Are you insane?!" the volatile resistance member yelped, pointing down the mountain with his firearm, where Cornelia's troops were amassing, like fire ants storming a downed kill "We can't fight all those troops head on!"

"We won't have to." Zero assured the volatile redhead, earning looks of confusion from all of the other Knights, even as he tilted his helmet, as if speaking over his shoulder "Tell me, Ohgi, what's one of the most common causes of death in the mountains?"

"Uh landslides I think…" the former leader of the resistance cell muttered, looking at the vigilante in confusion, "But Zero…what does that have to do with…!"

He trailed off, eyes widening, as the Black Knights, as a whole, turned to gape at the excavators that were even now drilling into the mountainside. "No freaking way…" Tamaki breathed, the volatile resistance member turning to gape up at Zero in stunned disbelief "You planned this far ahead…?"

"A sword can kill one person." Zero intoned, his voice carrying to the assembled Black Knights as if on the wind, "Tactics, however, can slay an army." He turned to face the Gurren MKII, beside, his eyes resting on it's stunned pilot "Kallen, it's time."

"Uh…RIGHT!" the redhead stammered, shaking herself out of her awe at their leader's strategy, pulling off a salute as she slipped into the cockpit of the Gurren and firing up the controls with ease, gripping the controls eagerly.

"Zero…" Ohgi spoke up, the former school teacher looking on in concern as the Black Knights scattered, boarding their respective Frames as the Gurren got into position "Aren't there civilians at the foot of the cliff?"

"Already accounted for." Zero assured him, the masked vigilante's hand rising from beneath his cloak, flipping open a mobile phone and hitting speed dial, holding it to his helmet as whoever was on the other end picked up on the first ring "Orange…tend to the flock."

"Yes, my lord." A modulated voice replied, Ohgi blinking in confusion as Zero snapped the phone shut, tucking it back into the folds of his cloak, like a magician stashing away his wand and rabbit.

"Who…was that?" the resistance member asked, wondering just how many contacts Zero had, and just what he meant by 'tend to the flock'. It almost sounded like he'd set the whole thing up in advance.

"A man I trust with my life." Zero replied, his cloak billowing behind him as he advanced on his custom Burai "He'll get the civilians clear, count on it."

* * *

"Lord Jeremiah, are you certain of these orders?" Villetta wondered, the bluehaired, golden eyed Knightmare pilot looking over at the disgraced margrave's Knightmare as they oversaw the evacuation of the civilian area.

"Princess Euphemia was concerned for the safety of the civilians so close to the battlefield." The former Margrave replied over the radio, using his Sutherland to help direct the evacuation of said civillians with a distinct drive "Would you question the Sub-Viceroy?"

"They probably didn't want ORANGE getting near Zero." Kewel muttered, earning a glare from Villetta, but surprisingly none from the target, causing him to scoff derisively "See, even ORANGE understands it."

"If you have the time to be flapping your gums, Kewel, then use it to direct the civilians." Jeremiah shot back, not even turning to face the sputtering pilot "Frankly, I don't have time to deal with your impotent attempts at sabotage."

"IMPOTENT?!" Kewel repeated, the disgraced purist leveling his Sutherland's rifle at the back of the former Margrave's own Knightmare, face a mask of rage over the radio "You DARE mock ME, after ruining the name of the Purists?!"

"To think my eyes were once as closed as yours." Jeremiah muttered, his tone laced with self-disgust, even as the other members of his platoon looked between them in confusion "If you're going to shoot me Kewel, then at least have the courtesy to do it where people won't be caught in the crossfire."

"You son of a-!" the purist snarled, only to be cut off as Jeremiah's frame whipped round, closing the distance between them in record time. The disgraced Margrave's Knightmare kicked out, snapping the purist's Sutherland's leg off at the knee, before shooting off the arm holding the rifle, ripping it off the frame while Kewel screamed in fear.

"Be grateful that, unlike you, I'm not the type of man that kills his comrades." Jeremiah stated, standing over the ruined Sutherland, his rifle aimed at the Frame's head, before turning back to the others "Continue with the evacuation! We must have the civilians out of the danger zone before-!"

He trailed off as the sound of gunfire echoed through the mountains, his eyes narrowing, cursing under his breath as he turned to face his men "They've started! All forces, continue to evacuate the civilians!"

"What about Kewel?" Villetta asked, the blue haired pilot drawing the former Margrave's attention towards their cursing former friend, who had just finished clambering out of his ruined Knightmare, her exotic features grave "He drew a gun on you…"

"That's for the military tribunal to resolve." Jeremiah informed her, earning a look of shock from the dark skinned woman at his surprisingly professional response "Villetta, take the rest of the men and accompany the civilians to safety."

"What about you?" the woman asked, looking at her former commanding officer, and closest friend and partner, in concern. After all, that landslide looked like it could wipe out a small settlement if it hit.

"First, I'm going to take Kewel into custody." Jeremiah informed her, grabbing the purist with his Sutherland and holding tight "I'll catch up later."

Villetta said nothing, looking between Jeremiah and the swearing, captured purist that had attempted to kill him, twice now, before saluting and heading off with the rest, leaving the two alone.

* * *

"Dammit! Let me go!" Kewel snarled, the disgraced, blonde purist struggling in the grip of Jeremiah's Sutherland, as he watched Villetta race off to join the other members of the platoon, which were already out of sight "Dammit Orange! When I get out of here-!"

"You'll spend the rest of your life in a military jail cell." Jeremiah's voice informed him, cutting off the man's curses with the cold finality of his tone "Twice now, you've attempted to kill a fellow Britannian, a former commanding officer at that. I may have lost my rank, but I'm still a member of the nobility, simply pointing a gun at me is enough to have you clapped in irons."

"I don't need to be lectured by the lies of YOU!" Kewel snapped, glaring up at the disgraced Margrave's Knightmare, his hair in disarray, eyes filled with loathing and contempt "Everything we worked for! Everything that we stood for! All for naught because of you and this 'orange' business! Where in the hell do you get off thinking you can criticize me-!"

He trailed off as the hand holding him tightened, his bones cracking ominously as his eyes widened from the pain.

"Kewel…" Jeremiah muttered, his voice laced with a hint of sadness "We went through so much together…since you came under my command." He sighed "However…for the sake of the future…such old-fashioned ideals must be cast aside."

"I…I knew it!" Kewell gasped, blood trailing from his lips as he glared up at the impassive, featureless face of his former comrade's Knightmare "All this time…You've been working with Zero…haven't you, ORANGE?!"

"Orange?" Jeremiah repeated, his tone sounding amused as he tightened his grip on his treacherous, former subordinate "Yes indeed…that's what I am."

He brought Kewell up, the man's face stopping inches from that of the Sutherland, which opened to reveal the green eye beneath.

"My Name is Sir Jeremiah Gottwald of the Black Knights" the former Margrave muttered, his left, robotic eye glowing as an inverted blue sigil appeared there "only my comrades may refer to me as Orange."

Kewell's scream was cut off by the sound of crunching bones and the rush of wings as the local birds took flight, as the mountain shook to life.

* * *

And so the plot thickens.

To DarkSamuraiX1999, I hope you like this gift.

Kogarashi: I know the reviewers will.

R.R: Every time you Review, Lelouch get's another round with his ladies.

LuluHarem: YAY!

Lelouch: OH GOD NO!!!

No racists were harmed in the making of this chapter...killed yes, but not hurt.


	12. Chapter 12

Back by popular demand for the new year!

C.C: (Wearing nightrobe) Did we go anywhere?

Milly: (Same, only satin, teasingly open) Well, Lulu saw heavn a few times.

Kallen: (Tugging a red one on) I still say keeping him at it until the countdown was over was going too far.

Shirley: (Simply smiling and humming to herself)

Kyugan: In any case, now that that's settled, let's resume where we left off!

Kallen: Bythe way, where's Lelouch?

Euphie: Oh he's tired, so we let him sleep, Kaguya's just gone to check on him.

Lelouch: (Looking up weakly as Kaguya looms over him, like some lolicon angel of death, whip in hand) ...mommy...

* * *

Chapter eleven: Interlude in a cave.

Standing alone in the deserted civilian sector, Jeremiah gazed down at the silent, broken form of what had once been one of his closest friends and subordinates.

He'd known Kewell for years, the man had served under him since landing in Area Eleven…Japan rather, and had been one of the largest supporters of the now defunct purists. But the man's loyalty had already been proven to be questionable, as he'd actually plotted to kill Jeremiah, or simply discredit him further, since the Orange incident.

Jeremiah had lost track of the number of times he'd been blamed for their unit's failures in his previous life, though admittedly his zealous pursuit of 'Zero' HAD been an all-encompassing goal back then.

'Sorry…Kewell.' He muttered, tossing the man's broken body into the street, looking up just as the first tremors began to shake the mountain 'But it is for the good of the world.'

That said, the former Margrave turned his Sutherland around and raced off to catch up to Villetta and the evacuees, never looking back at the broken form of his former friend.

* * *

Cornelia smiled to herself, watching on the radar as her troops continued to decimate the pitiful resistance put up by the JLF troops. It was no competition really, the elevens were using outdated military technology, relics from a bygone era that were next to useless against even Gloucesters.

Since all of her personal troops piloted the most recent models of Gloucesters, the purple frames tearing though the woodland like knights of old, it was little wonder that they were currently decimating the enemy, routing them from their hiding places, before finishing them off with an efficiency that would have made even the Romans green with envy.

'It's all so easy…' she sighed, her spear punching through one of the JLF's customized Glasgow knockoffs, directing her men towards the summit of the mountain 'Isn't there a SINGLE strategist amongst these rebels worth a damn?'

'There's Zero…' a certain part of her mind that she'd thought long suppressed pointed out, the Viceroy flinching as she recalled the masked Vigilante that had been preying on her thoughts for some time now.

'He's not associated with the JLF.' She countered, shaking such thoughts aside with a grim scowl, 'If he was, they'd probably stand a better chance.'

She blinked as a flare went up from Dalton's position, signaling that her Knight had located the headquarters of the rebels. And in record time too. "We'll secure our position here." She ordered, speaking to Guilford and the rest of her escort over the radio smiling at the Knight's enquiry "Send a reserve force to back up Dalton…looks like he'll be getting another medal."

Her good humor was ruined as the earth beneath her trembled, the Viceroy's Frame stumbling, almost losing it's footing, as the entire mountain seemed to come to life.

"What's going on!?" she demanded, looking at the screen, only to gape as Dalton's forces, who'd been securing the route to the HQ, proceeded to flicker off the map en masse, as if swept away by like leaves in a river.

"A Landslide!" Guilford reported, his startled visage appearing on the communications screen as he relayed the situation to his leader "Dalton and Alex's forces are being wiped out!" His eyes widened as Cornelia moved her Gloucester closer to the flow of rock and mud "Your Highness fall back! You're in danger there!"

"I don't care!" Cornelia countered, the witch of britannia looking over her shoulder as she spoke, her face lined with a determined, angry scowl as she ordered her men "Forget about me! Find out about Dalton! Where's Alex?!"

"Milady!" came a report from her subordinate, the princess turning to scowl at the man's grainy image over the relay "New enemy force confirmed, moving in from the summit. Carius force moving in to engage them."

"Tch, hoping to take advantage of all the confusion are they?" Cornelia mused, a hint of approval in her tone, though it was marred by the frown on her face, as she hadn't been expecting such a tactic, not from the JLF anyways "Not bad for Elevens."

"Emergency call from Carius unit!" the same subordinate from earlier announced, catching the Viceroy's attention as she turned once again to face him "It's not the Japan Liberation Front! They think it's…the Black Knights!"

"What?!" Cornelia gaped, whirling round to face the summit, her eyes narrowing in understanding of just WHO she was up against "Then HE'S here…!"

* * *

"Cornelia has only limited reinforcements headed her way." Zero reported, the masked revolutionary leading the Black Knights in their charge as they raced down the mountain towards the cornered Viceroy "Smash right through them!"

The Black Knights voiced their agreement by opening fire on the unit sent to waylay them, those Piloting the Burai's accompanying Zero, while the captured Sutherlands accompanied those members without units of their own, to aid in the guerilla tactics Zero had prepped them for earlier.

Several of them launched attacks on the troops moving to assist Cornelia, others picked off the survivors from Dalton and Alex's forces that had managed to avoid the worst of the landslide. Still more were moving throughout the woodlands, picking off stragglers and making sure that the tanks and other armored vehicles didn't become a threat, all while guarding the rear so that Zero and his men could escape once Cornelia was captured.

'Without Jeremiah's interference, they won't even know we're coming.' The vigilante deduced, smirking as he recalled the orders he'd left for 'Orange' to carry out 'And knowing Euphie, she'll reward him with a promotion for his handling of the evacuation…which will put him in a much better position.'

While unexpected, Jeremiah's awakening had the distinct advantage of giving Lelouch a man on the inside, someone that knew the military, and could pass on information without fear of getting caught.

"Kallen," the former demon emperor hailed, bringing the redhead's face up on screen as he directed the rest of the Knights in a charge down the mountainside "have you finished wiping out the troops sent to investigate?"

"Affirmative!" Kallen reported, the smile on the redhead's face oddly infectious, a healthy glow about her cheeks as she piloted the Japanese Knightmare through the woods "The Gurren handles like a dream!"

"I knew it would serve you well." Zero complimented, the elder Lamperouge smiling knowingly behind his visor at the redhead, his words laced with proud approval "Now hurry up and rejoin us, but stay hidden."

"Roger!"

* * *

"Lloyd, what's going on?" Suzaku asked, the honorary britannian leaning round in his seat to look down at the bespectacled scientist, who was humming smugly to himself as he looked over the battlefield data.

"It's very unnatural." Lloyd mused, the Earl of pudding wondering just how unnerved the higher ups must be feeling after such a devastating assault, before smiling coyly at the Lancelot's pilot/test subject "There's been an unconfirmed report that the Black Knights have appeared."

"Zero!" Suzaku breathed, his eyes widening at the vigilante's audacity, and daring, at staging such an attack. How had he known that they'd be operating in this area? Had the landslide been HIS doing?

"Congratulations!" Lloyd applauded, the dazed, campish earl/scientist/pudding otaku smiling eagerly up at the Warrant Officer, his blue eyes dancing excitedly behind his glasses "This is our chance!"

"You're so rash!" Cecile chided, the blue haired technician frowning at her superior in disapproval, honestly wondering how on earth he could talk like that. But then again,Lloyd never did see things the same way everyone else did, to him the loss of a few outdated sutherlands was simply a means to promote the Lancelot.

"Huh? Why's that?" the Lord of pudding demanded, looking honestly perturbed by the smile that Cecile leveled at him "Uh…never mind…In any case, while the high command is still gathering data, all we can do is play it by ear…" he smiled up at Suzaku "right?"

* * *

'Amazing…' Euphemia breathed, looking on in awe as the reports of fallen forces continued to increase 'Just as Zero predicted…we've lost almost half our combat strength in that first assault…' she eyed the dark trail on the map screen that represented the mudflow 'And he predicted exactly what civilian areas would be affected…'

When Zero had called in to inform her that innocents might get caught in the crossfire, Euphemia had jumped on the chance to save innocent lives, regardless of the information. She didn't even think of questioning the integrity of Zero's words, something deep within in her letting her know that he wasn't lying.

'Could it really be him?' she wondered, a hand going to her breast as the image of the masked vigilante was superimposed over the image of the purple-eyed boy she recalled from from her childhood at the aries villa 'Could he really be alive…?'

"This is Lord Jeremiah, reporting in." came a voice over the speakers, the pink haired princess and sub-viceroy looking up to find the disgraced former margrave onscreen "Evacuation of civilian areas successful your highness."

"Well done, Lord Jeremiah." the princess applauded, smiling gratefully up at the man that had, in his own way, tried to bring justice to Clovis' murder, and if her sister's reports were accurate, may have been covering up a scandal that her sibling had created "Did you and your men suffer any harm?"

"Lord Kewel attempted to assault Lord Jeremiah." Villetta Nu reported, the golden-eyed, blue haired Lieutenant appearing on screen alongside her commanding officer "Lord Jeremiah apprehended him, but…"

"He escaped into the woods." Jeremiah sighed, the disgraced former margrave appearing stricken at the words, his eyes, one of which Euphemia noted was artifical, turning downcast as he shook his head "He could very well have been caught up in the mudflow."

"We'll send a search team to investigate afterwards." Euphemia offered, looking saddened at the man's fate, as treason or not, nobody deserved to be buried alive "If he's alive, he'll face a military tribunal for assaulting an officer."

"With all due respect your Highness, I am no longer an officer." Jeremiah informed her, a wistful smile on his face as he shook his head. Villetta, who'd been silent this entire time, flinched lsightly, a look of concern on her face as she regarded her friend and commanding officer.

"I'll have a word with my sister…I mean the Viceroy." Euphemia assured the former Margrave, smiling at the green haired noble as she spoke, her hands held before her "Such service should not be ignored."

"Thank you, Milady." Jeremiah bowed, his features reverent and humbled as he held one gloved hand over his breast, a stunned Villetta blinking, before doing the same on her own end "I will not let you down."

"Princess!" one of Euphemia's advisors cried out in alarm "Something's advancing on the Viceroy from behind!"

* * *

"What?!" Cornelia demanded, whirling round just as five custom Burai's, piloted by Todoh and the Four Holy Swords, broke from cover and began attacking her escort "The Japan Liberation Front?!"

"Your highness!" Guilford insisted, the bespectacled Knight moving his own Knightmare in front of his lady, shielding her from the oncoming enemy, lance in hand "Please, leave them to us, you have to withdraw for now!"

"Very well." The Witch of Britannia allotted, nodding her head in approval as her Knight moved in to intercept Todoh's Burai "I know a way to turn this around. Guilford! After you drive them back, meet me over at point nine."

Having laid down her orders, the purple haired princess charged the two members of the Holy swords that challenged her, meeting them head on and breaking her way through, before racing off.

'So there's some life left in these Elevens after all…' she mused, racing through the ravine which would bring her behind the enemy's guard 'Those Frames weren't like the ones they've stolen before, they're lighter, more agile…'

A flash of red up ahead stopped the Viceroy in her tracks, narrowing her eyes at the unfamiliar Frame blocking the way, knowing for CERTAIN it wasn't one of hers, even as Guilford's warning reached her. "CORNELIA!" the pilot of the red Knightmare yelled, charging in head first, the silver arm of the red and gold Frame clenching in readiness.

"Lowborn SCUM!" Cornelia countered, thrusting forwards with her lance, accelerating to add force to the blow, only to blink as the red Knightmare leapt out of the way, forcing her to jump herself to avoid an attack from behind.

"That's not just a customized unit!" the Viceroy realized, as the speed and agility of the red frame actually outmatched her own Gloucester. Only Cornelia's skill and experience had saved her from that last attack.

Gunfire rained down on her from behind, the Viceroy disengaging her Slash Harkens to avoid being shot in the back, even as a familiar voice called out to her.

* * *

"Can you hear me…Cornelia?" Zero greeted, the masked vigilante's voice emanating from a customized Knightmare, wearing something akin to a Samurai helm on it's armored head "This is checkmate."

"Zero…" the viceroy exclaimed, her voice a mixture between anger and intrigue, her Knightmare kneeling, looking over its shoulder to see the assembled forces perched around her, cursing as she realized not one of them was friendly 'Dammit! Surrounded!'

"Shall we celebrate our reunion?" the vigilante suggested, his tone laced with respectful humor, as if they had bumped into one another at a ball, rather than him cornering her like a fox on the hunt "Of course, I promise you will come to no harm."

"Meaning you want me to surrender?" Cornelia posed rhetorically, a sardonic smirk twisting her purple lips as she snorted. Strangely enough, despite the situation around her, the Viceroy felt oddly calm. After all, the last few times she'd spoken with Zero, he'd kept his word despite her misgivings.

"If you wish." Zero offered, his tone non-committal, almost as if he truly didn't care about such things "Though if it soothes your pride, you can think of this as a continuation of our previous conversations."

Cornelia's eyes widened, recalling the bombshell the vigilante had dropped on her the last time, before narrowing her eyes and biting her lip, torn with indecision.

On the one hand, Zero apparently knew something about Empress Marianne's death, or at least enough to get her questioning what people believed as gospel. On the other, she refused to show weakness in front of the Elevens.

"What makes you think I'll come quietly?" she demanded, turning her Gloucester around and pointing her rifle at the red Knightmare blocking her path, heedless of the cocked rifles that were aimed at her from on high "If I defeat this one, I'm free and clear."

"True," Zero agreed, his tone calm and composed "but the damage you'd receive would hinder your movements, making you a viable target for the JLF." he paused, as if to let the Viceroy mull that little fact over "And they aren't as inclined to resolve matters peaceably, as I am."

'He's got me there.' Cornelia muttered, biting her lip, torn between anger at being cornered like this, and being impressed with Zero's advanced tactical skills 'Cornered, outgunned and outnumbered…he's even secured the high ground and made use of the JLF's own forces to block off my men.'

The Witch of Britannia had to admit, she was impressed. The number of men that could drive her into a corner like this could be counted on one hand, two fingers even.

One was her father, a man she wouldn't DREAM of confronting without the assurance of a small battalion at her back. The other was Schniezel…and the less said about her elder brother, and her childish crush on him from when they were young, the better.

"Alright, we'll talk." She agreed, stamping the butt of her spear on the ground, smirking to herself as her words caused the assembled Black Knights to mutter amongst themselves in shocked surprise, apparently they'd been half expecting her to refuse "However, I'm keeping my weapons."

"By all means." Zero agreed, even as several of the resistance voiced their protests, pointing off to the side with his rifle "There's a cave nearby, off the beaten path. Turn off your id-signal and follow me."

"Zero…you sure about this?" the pilot of the red Knightmare asked, the concern in her voice evident as she took a step towards the Viceroy's Gloucester, Cornelia scowling, her grip on the Gloucester's lance tightening in readiness.

"I'm positive, Red Queen." Zero assured the pilot, Cornelia quirking an eyebrow at the man's choice of codename "Besides…your dance partner should be arriving soon…"

* * *

"Suzaku…" Lloyd drawled, watching on the screen as the Warrant Officer moved the Lancelot Frame into launch position "There's something I want to ask you…More than anything, you hate when people die," he quirked an eyebrow inquisitively "yet you're in the military, why is that?"

"I'm in the military to STOP people from dying." Suzaku replied, his features disciplined as he prepared to engage the enemy, and perhaps capture Zero. The vigilante had to be brought to justice before his actions grew too far out of control.

"That self contradiction will get you killed someday…"Lloyd pointed out with a bemused smile, only to yelp as Cecile grabbed him by the collar, dragging the man off-screen as the sakuradite powered up, Lloyd's pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

"Lancelot…now launching." Suzaku declared, the white Knightmare tearing off the launch pad and making it's way towards Cornelia's last reported location.

'Her signal cut off just after it was reported that Zero's troops were cooperating with the JLF.' The Warrant officer recalled, grimacing at the prospect that the woman had been felled 'Could she have been captured?' he wondered, firing his Veres into the mountainside to clear a path 'As 2nd princess, she'd make one hell of a bargaining chip-!'

His thoughts trailed off as he raced into the opening created by the Veres, only to be greeted by a hail of gunfire from the front and sides. 'Dammit!' he swore, activating his shield to ward off the worst of the attacks 'They were waiting for me agai-!'

A flash of crimson was all the warning he got before he was blindsided by a red Knightmare of unknown design, the frame knocking the Lancelot off balance, before grabbing the arm that held the Veres.

Instantly, a red haze filled the air, Suzaku's eyes widening as alarms blazed to life all over his console. "Suzaku!" Cecile cried over the intercom, Lloyd's terrified squawks of 'MY BABY!' echoing in the background hysterically "Get away from that thing!"

"DAMMIT!" Suzaku cursed, the Honorary Britannian drawing one of the Lancelot's swords, slicing the white Knightmare's arm off at the elbow, heedles of Lloyd's enraged shriek, and flipping out of the way with the same movement "What is that thing?!"

"Not this time punk!" a voice yelled ocer the airwaves, Suzaku stumbling as a rocket-propelled Grenade crashed into the Lancelot's back, knocking the Knightmare on it's face, the red Knightmare's silver hand coming to hold it down.

'No!' Suzaku exclaimed, his eyes widening as he tried to raise the white Knight, the systems sparking like crazy as they began to shut down from energy overload, only to blink as the red haze surrounding his cockpit dimmed.

"Consider yourself lucky." The pilot of the red frame declared, the modulated voice laced with mockery and derision as their Knightmare pushed the Lancelot's face into the dirt "Zero ordered us to keep you out of the way…but not to kill you."

'Zero!' the Warrant officer grimaced, eyes narrowing at the mockery in the pilot's tone, his teeth clenching at the indignity. Again, the masked Revolutionary seemed to be three steps ahead of him, messing with his head and carrying out acts of terroirsm in the same instant.

"Still, no point in letting you off scot free." The pilot deduced, the crimson Knightmare stepping on the Lancelot's head, grabbing one of the White Knightmare's legs with it's silver right arm, which began to pulse "So we're putting you out of action for a while!"

"ZERO!" Suzaku yelled, even as the red warning lights flashed over his console, as the Lancelot's leg was severed from the frame in a flash of crimson.

* * *

"Quaint little place you have here…" Cornelia noted wrly, the purple haired Viceroy looking around the cool, shadowed cave with a hint of interest. There weren't too many natural wonders like this she'd seen after all "So what, are you planning on finishing me off here?"

"Hardly," Zero assured her, leading the way deeper into the cave, once again trusting his unprotected back to the Viceroy, despite her vendetta against him "We both share a common goal, it serves no purpose to kill you."

"Not like Clovis." Cornelia noted pointedly, her words hard and directed to sting, her hand reaching for the weapon at her hip in case Zero tried anything. He might just want to talk, but unlike last time, he didn't have a small army of Knightmares at his beck and call.

"It was harder for me to kill Clovis than I had laid out." Zero admitted, earning a look of confusion from the Viceroy "I took no pleasure in killing him, despite the many atrocities he'd performed." He pulled up short at a small, underground lake "But that is not the reason we're here."

"Not the current one, no." Cornelia agreed, her frown in place as she placed a hand on her hip, narrowing her eyes at the vigilante, though his words had sparked her interest "Rest assured though, I WILL have satisfaction for Clovis' death."

"As you will." Zero reasoned, nodding his head in understanding "Regarding what we discussed before, the incident revolving around the death of Empress Marianne." He nodded as Cornelia stood up straighter "It all revolves around an order, founded around a power that has existed long before Britannia began its quest for global domination."

"What kind of order?" Cornelia queried, her eyes narrowing in confusion, and a hint of intrigue, at the man's words "And what do you mean by power?" she added, nodding her head towards the masked man "You mentioned it before-!"

She stiffened, glaring at a shadow that had appeared at Zero's back, eyes narrowing as a woman with green hair and a strange, white outfit stepped out of the shadows.

"This is C.C." Zero introduced, the revolutionary gesturing to the newcomer with a gloved hand as Cornelia relaxed slightly "She can describe the power better than I can…" he paused for effect, his helment tilted towards the Viceroy "after all, she is the source of it all."

"The Source?" Cornelia repeated, her eyes flicking between Zero and the newcomer, a scowl forming on her face as she felt her temper rise, wondering if Zero had dragged her down here just to mess with her head "you expect me to believe that this…GIRL, has a power that my father seeks?"

"If you mean Charles, then he's already received the power." C.C informed the woman, Cornelia's eyes widening at the girl's familiarity "Oh don't be so shocked, I've known Charles and his brother since they were children."

"Brother?" Cornelia stammered, her eyes wide with confusion, and more than a hint of outrage at the insinuation, though she filed away the woman's use of her father's first name, something even the man's consorts were hesitant to use, for later "What Brother? My father was an only child!"

"Officially, yes." Zero interrupted, drawing the woman's attention back to him as he held a hand to the side "That's because Charles had all record of him erased, be it paper or people, through a combination of his power as emperor…and the Power of Geass."

"Geass?" Cornelia repeated, looking between the masked vigilante and green haired girl in abject confusion, noting that the girl seemed to be examing her "Is that the name of this so called power you keep talking about?"

"The Geass Order was founded around need to study and create those with the power of Geass." C.C picked up, drawing attention back to herself, "I, and V.V, Charles' elder brother, possessed the power to awaken the ability in others." She sighed "But after Marianne's death, I withdrew, and passed full control over to V.V."

"Doubtless one of the reasons behind his murdering of Marianne." Zero opined, Cornelia's eyes widening at the words "He deemed her a threat to the 'perfect world' he had envisioned for himself and Charles, and so had her gunned down, and staged the incident as a terrorist attack."

"But…" Cornelia stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief, as her memories flashed back to that god awful day, when she'd not only lost the woman she admired the most in the world, but two of her younger siblings, one of whom held a dear place in Euphie's heart "If that's the case…why would my father…"

"Cover it up?" Zero interrupted, snorting derisively "Oh he didn't like it, you can rest assured of that, he truly loved Marianne." The man's fist clenched "But he couldn't risk the plan on something as 'transient' as love…"

"What Plan?" Cornelia demanded, looking between the two in confusion, reaching for her weapon and leveling it at them, the rush of information confusing and angering her at the same time, not a good combination to be sure "What proof do you have of this…this dime store conspiracy?!"

"You want proof?" C.C asked, stepping forwards as a knife appeared in her hands. Cornelia, eyes narrowing at the pitiful attemptat betrayal, whipped her gun round to aim at the girl's face, only to gape as C.C slashed her own throat.

"The power of Geass carries with it a curse." Zero intoned, his tone solemn as Cornelia gaped at the still standing C.C, whose neck wound was already beginning to heal "It grants the user power…but it comes with a terrible price. A price that Charles, in his lust for power, would throw even his children away for…"

He held up a hand, clenching it before his visor, which reflected the look of startled, haunted confusion on Cornelia's face.

"Eternal Life."

* * *

And thus, Cornelia get's mind fucked.

Well not literally, but I doubt she'll be so eager to trust Dear old papa Charlie in the future, right?

Euphie: Poor sister...she really needs to relax more often.

Kyugan: I know, that's why I locked her, Charles, and a crowbar in the same room together.

Charles: (Off camera, accompanied by dull, meaty thuds) DEAR SWEET GOD THE PAIIIN!

Kyugan: In any case, how will this turn out for Lelouch? Will it backfire? or will He gain a new ally in Cornelia?

Tune in next time to find out!

Omake time!

* * *

Knightmare wars, taunting evolved.

'Dammit!' Suzaku hissed, the Honorary Britannain gritting his teeth as he slammed his fists into the lifeless control panel of the immobilized Lancelot. The Red Knightmare had flipped it over onto it's back, so Suzaku couldn't even eject, and with both arms and legs inoperable, the white Knightmare wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"We're done here." the red Knightmare's pilot declared, the modulated voice sounding oddly satisfied as it pulled back, towering over the Lancelot as the White Knightmare gazed upwards at the sky, Suzaku scowling as he realized the cameras must have survived the assault "C'mon, Zero told us to meet up at the rendezvous point."

'Zero...' the warrant officer growled, his emerald eyes narrowing as he glared at the knightmares that had gathered around him, watching them move off, leaving him stranded and helpless on his back, like an overturned turtle 'I'll get him for this...'

"Hey Tamaki!" one of the Knights called out, Suzaku looking up to see one of the burai's lagging behind, looking down at him inquisitively "What the hell are you waiting for? Haul ass or we're leaving you behind!"

"Be right there!" the Pilot of the straggling Burai called out, before turning round Suzaku grimacing, wondering if he was about to join his father in the afterlife as the modified Knightmare moved towards him.

"Heh...not so tough now are ya?" the pilot, Tamaki according to the others, demanded, kicking the White Knightmare in the side with his Burai's foot, his tone mocking and derisive "Yeah, Zero figured you'd be more trouble than this...guess he overestimated ya."

Suzaku grimaced, glaring defiantly up at the enemy Knightmare, silently willing the cocky bastard to get it over with, that or shoot himself in the head, because deep down, if he was going to die, he didn't want it to be at the hands of someone like this. He closed his eyes as the burai stepped forwards, bracing himself for the inevitable impact of bullets tearing into his Knightmare, only to blink as a strange noise started up over head, his eyes bulging out of his skull as the Burai began to squat repeatedly over the downed Lancelot, the mech's groin getting right in the pilot's viewscreen.

* * *

"WHAT IS HE DOING?!" Lloyd shrieked, the distraught Earl of Pudding gripping the sides of his head in horror as the image was broadcast over the Lancelot's systems back to the control center "No! Stop him! He's violating my Lancelot!"

"Um..." Euphemia wondered, the pink haired princess face turning the same shade as her hair as she stared at the screen, her dumbstruck attendants gaping at it in abject disbelief at what was happening "What...is he doing?"

"I...believe it's called Teabagging your highness." one of the younger guards on duty muttered, aveting his eyes as the Princess, and her attendants, turned their attention towards them, coughing into his fist at being put on the spot "It's considered a taunt, often used in first person shooters, as your avatar crouches over a fallen opponent, basically simulating the act of-!"

"We get it!" Cecile yelled, the blue haired woman's features lighting up like a search beacon, which was nothing comapred to the look on Euphemia's face, the poor, sheltered princess covering her cheeks in embarassment as she tired, and failed, to avert her eyes from the screen, Lloyd's distraught shrieks echoing over the airwaves.

It was times like these that the bluehaired technician cursed her teenage hobby of online gaming, as there really was such a thing as too much information.

End omake

* * *

And thus i bid you adieu...for now.

Read and Review for more!


	13. Chapter 13

Kyugan: Well, while Lelouch's resting under the tender care of Kaguya-chan

Kaguya: *off screen* SAY MY NAME BITCH!

Lelouch: *Girly scream...you know the one ^_^*

Kyugan: Let's continue where we left off...namely with Cornelia getting splattered with blood from C.C's throat.

C.C: I feel so used.

Kyugan: Here's a Lelouch Cheese-Kun Plushy, now shut up.

C.C: WAI! *huggles the lelouch Cheese-Kun as camera rolls*

* * *

Chapter twelve: Orders and Results.

Cornelia fell to her knees, one hand covering her mouth as she fought the urge to be sick, her eyes wide with shock, whites showing all around.

'It's inconceivable', she muttered, or so some desperate part of her mind wished to believe as she tried to get the image of the green haired girl slashing her throat out of her mind. It had to be a trick she deduced, a fabrication Zero planned out to mess with her head, just like he had at Saitima and during the Hostage situation.

But despite her protests, there stood C.C, the supposed 'source' of some unimaginable power that was the reason behind Britannia's global conquest, her throat cut out but still VERY much alive, the wound healing at a pace even Britannian medical science couldn't hope to match.

"Easy…" Zero's voice soothed, the vigilante kneeling before her, one gloved hand going to the Viceroy's shoulder "It was unnerving for me to witness as well." he admitted, patting her on the shoulder gently "Those whose Geass develop to a certain level gain the power of 'Code'," he explained, after her trembling subsided "Doing so, they gain eternal life and the ability to grant Geass unto others, but in return lose their previous Geass abilities in the process."

"Right now, V.V is the only Britannian with the power of 'Code'." C.C supplied, her wound having healed enough to permit speech "He has bestowed Geass powers on several members of the court, such as Charles, and the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein."

Cornelia's head snapped up at that, gaping at the green haired woman in shock, part of her wanting to deny her words as false, but by now, she could only wonder just what kind of power the aforementioned three had received.

"Fortunately for us, V.V has no idea that C.C and I have entered under a contract." Zero assured the princess, helping her sit up on her knees on the stone floor "We intend to use that to our advantage to drag the Geass Order, and all those that protect it, out into the open."

"But…How…?" Cornelia stammered, the Witch of Britannia looking from Zero's masked visage to C.C's bloodstained outfit, her mind still reeling from the sudden string of revelations "How has he hid it for so long?"

"Charles is many things," C.C informed the woman, the green haired witch eyeing the purple haired one with a neutral, if pitying expression "randy as horse in season for one thing" both Zero and Cornelia twitched slightly at this, casting suspicious looks at the green haired witch "but a fool he is not. His Geass ability allows him to alter the memories of anyone he chooses…" she nodded towards her contractor "and unlike Zero, it doesn't require eye contact to work."

"Eye contact?" Cornelia repeated, the purple haired princess turning to face Zero, her own eyes narrowing in contemplation as she stared at his visor in growing suspicion 'If that's the case…why the mask?'

"He can broadcast a filtered version of his power via projections." Zero explained, snapping the Princess out of her musings with a nod "That's right, every time Charles shows up on a screen, he's secretly using his Geass to affect the viewers." He shrugged "After all, who wants to stand around for four hours listening to some old windbag praise his homeland?"

Cornelia flinched, seeing the sense in such a plan, even as her natural stubbornness tried to reject the vigilante's words. Just how many times had she looked into her father's eyes? Had she ever been manipulated by his ability? Were her memories as a child simply the result of the old man's manipulations.

"Your memories are your own." C.C assured her, causing the purple haired woman to look up at the immortal witch "Charles prefers not to use his power on his family unless he absolutely has no other option." She nodded at the Viceroy "So far, you and Euphemia have stayed under his radar, due to your military accomplishments." Her gaze turned sad "However, if he ever learns of Euphemia's ambitions…"

Cornelia blanched at that, recalling the numerous times she'd had to speak out to silence her little sister. While she couldn't bring herself to agree with Euphie's ideologies, being the devout war-maker she was, the elder princess would fight to the last breath before she allowed anyone else to carry word of her sister's plans back to Charles.

And now, with the knowledge that their father could alter a person's very BEING simply by making eye contact, could change their entire attitude on a WHIM, that resolve only hardened to something close to diamond status.

"You see now why I choose to speak with you, rather than holding you hostage." Zero informed her, the vigilante kneeling before the taller woman, one arm resting on his knee "With your tactical skills, and knowledge of the Britannian Political Circle, it would not be impossible for you to see any threats to Euphemia before they come to fruition." He nodded at the woman, holding out a hand "And now, armed with the knowledge of Charles' tactics, you can at least muster up SOME form of defense against them."

"Well, that's true…" Cornelia muttered, getting to her feet, accepting offered hand tentatively, only to tighten her grip as she glared into his visor. "However…one thing still bothers me." She pointed out, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she ran her gaze over the duo before her "Why are you so concerned with my sister's well-being?"

"The world Euphemia envisions, one where the people of the colonies, and Britannia, can live in peace, is a world worth fighting for." Zero replied, showing no discomfort despite having his hand crushed in Cornelia's grip "I would gladly give my life to see that world come to fruition."

"So you say." Cornelia muttered, narrowing her eyes at the vigilante, honestly confused as to why she was acting so strangely. Part of it was simply her desire to protect Euphie from being dragged into another's schemes. However, there was also the fact that she felt a little…jealous, at the vigilante's interest in her sibling.

A radio sparked, Cornelia blinking as she turned her gaze to C.C, who held up a walkie-talkie, chatting quietly to the person on the other end before cutting off. "That was Orange." the immortal reported, Cornelia's eyebrow quirking at the term, wondering where on earth she'd heard it before "Euphemia evacuated the civilians as planned, there were no casualties. Looks like your tip paid off."

"I knew Euphemia would act when I revealed the possibility that civilians could be caught in the crossfire." Zero explained, snapping Cornelia out of her surprise "I took EVERYTHING into account when I made this plan, Cornelia, I'm not prepared to sacrifice the innocent, Britannian or otherwise, simply to correct Charles' wrongs."

"We should go." C.C pointed out, the green haired, golden eyed immortal nodding towards the stunned 3rd Princess of Britannia "Euphemia's troops are combing the area for your Gloucester, they won't be long now."

"It seems our time together is destined to be cut short." Zero sighed, sounding both amused and exasperated as he slipped his hand out of Cornelia's grip, taking the started woman's hand and pressing his helmet to it in a mockery of a kiss "Until next time, Cornelia."

The Witch of Britannia turned a shade of pink she'd hitherto only associated with her sister's hair, more shocked than anything at the man's daring. So shocked, in fact, that Zero and C.C had already slipped into the shadows before she thought to bring her firearm to bear.

All in all, by the time Euphemia found her, Cornelia had already emptied all her ammunition into the rock walls in frustration.

*******

_Later, Leluch's bedroom..._

"That was cruel of you." C.C noted, as she lay next to her contractor, the two of them resting under the cool sheets, the moonlight shining through the window "You've become quite the louse, Lelouch Lamperouge."

"It simply seems to come naturally." The former Demon Emperor chuckled, holding the immortal girl close, his fingers playing with her green locks, wincing as his fingers ached from where Cornelia had almost crushed them "It's certainly a lot more fun than just being a piece of the wallpaper, no wonder Milly does it."

"Ah yes…the President." C.C noted, the immortal witch recalling the taller, blonde, well endowed girl that had been Lelouch's friend and protector on campus, and also his oldest friend, an perhaps a little more "Do you think getting her involved will help?"

"Perhaps." Lelouch muttered, a frown of uncertainty coming to his features as he lay back on the sheets, brows furrowed "On the one hand, Milly always seemed to know more than she let on…but on the other…"

"You're worried she'll seize control of the Black Knights, turning them into her personal Harem." C.C deduced, earning a glare from her contractor, only for Lelouch to scoff and shake his head "I wouldn't mind that at all…Kallen has quite an appealing figure...and there are several other women that look tasty too."

"Witch." Lelouch muttered, pinching the immortal woman's flank, smirking coyly as this earned gasp and glare from his partner, even as he hugged her closer to his chest "Keep your fantasies to yourself."

"You're no fun." C.C pouted, before burying her head under his chin and pulling him close to her with a smile, his hands trailing tenderly down the cool skin of her back, "Ah well, we have time." she mused.

"Especially since we don't have to worry about the Jeremiah interfering in our future operations." Lelouch agreed, recalling the phone call with 'Orange' upon returning home "He's apparently been set for a promotion already."

"That'll prove useful later." C.C acknowledged with an approving hum, recalling the conversations they'd had with the awakened margrave "Getting the frequency for Euphemia's command center really helped set things up."

"And with the Lancelot disabled." Lelouch noted with a hint of approval at the removal of that annoying white menace "Then we won't need to worry about Suzaku for a while."

*******

_Lancelot Support Center._

Suzaku awoke with a groan, his green eyes opening blearily to stare up at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. 'Wait…' he muttered, blinking dazedly to clear his vision of the dancing lights as he got a proper look around 'This looks like the Lancelot's command center…'

"Suzaku, are you alright?" Cecile's voiced called out, the blue haired assistant's face coming into view, the light behind her giving her a halo "Don't try to move, you've got a concussion and two cracked ribs."

"Cecile?" the Warrant officer muttered, sitting up despite the older, if not by much, woman's protests, wincing as his body creaked in protest at the unwanted movement "What happened?" he asked "How'd I get here?"

"The Sub-Viceroy sent a platoon in to find you after your signal cut out." The blue haired woman explained with a smile, helping the injured Honorary Britannian sit up "By the time we'd gotten there, the Black Knights had already pulled back."

Suzaku twitched, recalling the condescending tone of his opponent as the red Knightmare tossed the Lancelot around like a ragdoll. He still remembered the biting comment, of how Zero had ordered them to spare his life, but keep him from interfering. "What about the Lancelot?" he asked, only to grimace as Cecile flinched, sighing as she averted her eyes from his "That bad huh?"

"Let's just say it'd be a good idea if you stayed away from Lloyd for a while." The woman agreed, smiling helplessly at the Warrant Officer as she knelt next to him "The repairs should be ready in a month or two, use the time to catch up on your school work."

Suzaku nodded but said nothing. After a moment Cecile left him, saying she was going to get him some water, leaving the injured Warrant Officer to stare at his hands alone.

'He did it again.' He muttered, staring at his hands, as if trying to find fault in them somehow 'No matter what I do he's always three steps ahead, undermining the system, inciting anarchy…'

Suzaku honestly could see the good Zero was doing, Honorary Britannian or not, he DID feel for his homeland and countrymen. It was simply that, after sacrificing so much to change the system from the inside, to have Zero just walk in and challenge the system from without, and succeed, was like having salt rubbed in his wounds.

'And now he's crippled the Lancelot.' He muttered, grimacing at the memory of the Red Knightmare's Silver hand grabbing onto the experimental Frame's leg, the warning klaxons blazing to life all around him as he howled the vigilante's moniker at the top of his lungs 'It's like he's purposefully trying to make me look bad.'

Shaking such ridiculous thoughts out of his head, the Warrant Officer sighed, deciding that there would be time enough to worry about the Black Knights after the Lancelot was up and running again. In the meantime, he'd been meaning to check up on Lelouch and Nunnally for some time now…and his homework WAS beginning to pile up, even with Cecile's help.

'That,' he noted with a shiver, as Lloyd's sickly demented voice called out his name, the Warrant Officer using a technique Todoh had taught him to stick to the ceiling despite his aching ribs, clambering out of sight just as the Earl of Pudding came round the corner, grinning manically and wielding a giant wrench 'And apologizing to Nunnally will be a LOT safer than sticking around here.'

*******

_Area Eleven Governing Board._

The next day found Cornelia and Euphemia, accompanied by the former's Knights and several ranking officers, sitting at a meeting, discussing the increasing amount of insurgent activity from the Elevens in the advent of Zero's arrival on the stage.

The Goddess of victory could only shake her head at the bureaucrats that Clovis had surrounded himself with, ignoring their paltry complaints and excuses in favor of ruminating on more important matters, leaving Guilford to set them straight.

Truth be told, ever since that encounter in the caves, Cornelia hadn't been able to think of anything other than how far her father's conspiracies ran. She had never before questioned WHY she and her men were conquering the various nations of the world, she'd merely carried out her orders like a good soldier, even after becoming a Commander, with her own squadron of knights and the responsibilities the position entailed.

It irked her to think that her own father would use some sort of mind control to ensure she never questioned his orders, but truth be told she wouldn't have put it past the man. After all, he'd already proved in his banishment of Lelouch and Nunnally that he cared little for his children's wellbeing.

Similar thoughts were racing inside the mind of Euphemia, the pink haired Sub-Viceroy going over the information she'd managed to gather on her mysterious savior/enemy. More than once now, Zero had spoken to her as if he were someone she knew, his very knowledge of her dreams of peace, a secret she'd revealed to a select few, and his open support of those dreams, narrowing the list of possibilities down even further.

'He went out of his way to ensure that I evacuated the civilians before launching his assault.' She hands folded on her lap as she recalled their last conversation 'He sent his men in to rescue Britannian hostages, even though he declared himself the enemy of the empire.'

No, that wasn't strictly true. He'd declared himself the enemy of the CORRUPT Empire of Britannia, not the empire itself. He'd even gone so far as to proclaim himself an ally to those without the strength to fight their own battles, vowing to uphold justice for all, to bear their hatred and adulation in equal amounts.

The princesses looked up at the mention of Clovis' name, Cornelia's unintentional glare unnerving the offending member of the occupation government, who lowered his gaze.

"Prince Clovis said that we shouldn't force the subway and mining tunnels to be sealed off." The Vice-Minister explained weakly "Doing so would fuel the rebellion, giving the Chinese Federation an excuse to attack."

"They already HAVE an excuse." Cornelia pointed out dryly, scoffing at the man's incompetence as he flinched from her stare "Zero is growing stronger and bolder every day. THRICE now he's interfered in our operations…" she turned to eye Euphemia, her gaze softening "Though I'll admit that so far, he hasn't deemed it necessary to add to his hit-list."

"Vice-Minister." Dalton spoke up, cutting off the inept-bureaucrat's mutters of confusion with a pointed look "Internal affairs has appointed a special group of Elevens to sub-govern these areas, isn't that right?" The scarred Knight leant forward in his seat "A group called the N.A.C." he continued at their confused stares "When we stormed Narita, we looked for evidence of the N.A.C's conspiracies," he frowned "But it was buried in the landslide." He turned to regard his master "Still, our suspicions remain high…if we suppress them now…"

Cornelia nodded, mulling over her Knight's information as she sat back in her chair, musing over the possible ramifications of such an action. "A group of purebloods and plutocrats…" she muttered, frowning as she recalled how the older leaders had defied her till the end "Relic's of their forgotten past…"

*******

_Ashford Academy, Student Council Room._

Milly Ashford looked up from her terminal, where she was updating the Student Council's blog, to find Shirley sitting in front of her, the orangette humming to herself, a torn, lost expression on her face.

Naturally, the Ashford heir couldn't resist the chance to tease her adorable underclassman, and so closed down her window and smiled at the girl. "Okay, what's got you so worried?" she asked, smiling playfully at the younger girl from across the table "Constipated? Your monthlies?" her eyes danced "Or have your monthlies STOPPED?"

"Madam President!" Shirley exclaimed, the orange haired Fennette turning red in the face at the older girl's highly insensitive insinuation "I am NOT that type of woman, and that's hardly the reason-!"

"I know!" Milly noted, smiling knowingly at the embarrassed girl "You're lonely that Lelouch isn't here, right?"

Shirley flinched, looking down at the envelope she'd received from her father that day "It's more like…the fact that Kallen's absent the same day he is …" she admitted, her face a mask of depression "I mean…it's not so unusual for her to be off, she does have a health condition…but lately Lelouch's absences and her own are…"

"Oh so carefree…" the blonde president sighed, leaning back in her desk chair dramatically "Meanwhile the rest of the world is coming to grips with what happened at Narita. Suzaku's been out for two days because of that too."

"Well yeah, but Suzaku's in the military." Shirley pointed out, a mild frown on her face at the President's laid back attitude "Naturally he and the rest of the military are cleaning up after what happened right? But Lelouch and Kallen absent on the same day? That's serious!"

'The mind of the love struck.' Milly giggled, eyeing the pouting orangette before her approvingly as she shook her head. "Oh why don't you come out and say it?" she asked, getting up from her chair "Three simple words: I LIKE you!"

"I couldn't!" Shirley exclaimed, the younger girl shaking her head vehemently despite the fierce blush adorning her cheeks, her amber eyes filled with embarassment, doubt and concern "I mean…What if-?"

"What if he rejects me?" Milly pantomimed, the busty Ashford heir holding her arms and pretending to look saddened as she turned to face the orangette, her face a mask of depression, albeit over-dramatically so "What if it ruins our friendship?"

"You really shouldn't tease her about it." A familiar voice called out, the girls, including Nina, who'd been typing away in the corner, looking up as Lelouch walked in, dressed in a red jacket and jeans, and his recently obtained eyepatch "Sorry I'm late."

"L-LULU!" Shirley exclaimed, the orange haired Fennette startled at the sudden arrival of her not-so-secret crush as the elder Lamperouge walked up to the desk, calm as could be "I thought you were absent!"

"Nunnally had a bit of a fever this morning," the elder Lamperouge revealed as he drew closer, nodding in greeting to Nina, who nodded in response from her corner "and Sayoko was busy, so I stayed home to help."

"Oh really?" Shirley stammered, the orange haired girl calming herself down as she spoke, looking up at the teen in concern for hs younger sister's health, as the entire Student Council thought the world of the younger Lamperouge "Is Nunnally okay?"

"A bit, thanks for your concern." Lelouch assured her, smiling at the orangette kindly as he scooped some papers up off the desk, turning his gaze towards Milly "I take it THESE are the papers you wanted me to sort, Madam President? By year and Class right?"

"Wow, you're certainly on the ball today." Milly noted approvingly, the Ashford heir holding her elbows as she smiled coyly at the elder Lamperouge "I knew making you the Vice-President was a wise decision."

"Quite." Lelouch chuckled; shooting the blonde a knowing look, that caused her to quirk an eyebrow in approval, before lifting an envelope out of the stack of documents he'd just picked up off the table "Shirley, is this yours?"

"AH!" the orangette gasped, snatching the envelope out of her crush's hand, her face bright red from embarrassment at her shuffling it into the paperwork without thinking "S-Sorry, it's a letter from my dad and-!"

"Nothing to worry about," Lelouch assured her, the elder Lamperouge smiling reassuringly at the girl, causing her face to heat up at the affection there "I'm just glad I noticed it before I walked off. What's it say?"

"Um well…" the girl stammered, looking down at the envelope nervously, anything to avoid looking at that sexy eyepatch "You see, there was this concert I wanted to go to, and Dad managed to get two tickets for me…"

"Really?" Milly asked, the blonde Ashford quirking an eyebrow intriguingly as she leant over, smiling at the younger girl teasingly, as she was wont to do "Sounds like fun, you decide who the other ticket's for yet?"

"Um well…" Shirley began, the younger girl looking nervously up at Lelouch, "Uh, Lulu…I was…kinda hoping…" she broke off as Lelouch reached out, plucking one of the tickets from her hand with a smile.

"It's a date." The elder Lamperouge assured her, tucking the ticket into his coat pocket as she gaped up at him "Though I might be a bit late, I've got quite a bit of work to take care of, thanks to our wonderful President."

"That sounds like insubordination to me, Vice-President." Milly chuckled, looking more amused than anything at this latest development as Lelouch offered her a polite bow before walking off, leaving a dumbstruck Shirley staring off into space "So adorable."

*******

_Well outside the Academy grounds..._

Unknown to the students within, a tall, lanky figure with silver hair and a purple visor was standing on a distant rooftop, a superior smirk on his face as he eyed the domain of his target, though he resented the fact that he couldn't get any closer on account of the security.

'Soon C.C' he vowed, smirking to himself as he caught the tail end of the one called Lelouch's thoughts, the fleeting image of the green haired witch causing his heart to flutter, though he was too far away for him to read his mind in depth 'We'll be together again soon enough.'

* * *

And there you have it, Mao's in the house.

Lelouch: *vehemently* Mao...

C.C: *Still huggling the plushy* Easy, we'll get him...

Kallen: HEY! What's with all the pillow talk scenes?!

C.C: Jealous?

Kallen: YES! I mean NO! I mean!

C.C: So predictable.

Kallen: EAT ME!

C.C: I intend to *licks her lips as Kallen stutters incoherently*

Kyugan: Wanna see more? Then Read and Review!


	14. Chapter 14

Because this chapter was ready, and I was in a good mood, I've decided to update a little early.

Lelouch: A little, it's only been a day!

Kyugan: so?

Lelouch: hey I'm not complaining, I love mind-f!cking people.

C.C: And he's so good at it.

Kallen: Why are you grinning?

C.C: You'll see...

* * *

Chapter thirteen: Greeting from Kyoto.

_Kyoto...undiscolsed location..._

While Cornelia and her knights were shaking down the Occupation Government, a similar meeting was being held at a secret mountain retreat, one of the few remaining classical Japanese buildings left after the Britannian occupation, by the very members of the N.A.C. that Dalton had spoken of.

"So the Britannian Viceroy's gone this far already…" a figure noted, several key members of the group sitting seiza-style around a fireplace as they discussed the latest chain of events "It would seem she's not at all the simpleton her brother was."

"With the Japan Liberation Front smashed, the last embers of Japan have died away." Another voice sighed, his tone laced with angry resignation, even as his fists tightened in his lap in his ire.

"NO!" a third voice countered, even as a water chime sounded in the garden outside, the speaker thumping his knee with conviction as he spoke "He may be on the run, but Todoh is still strong! Still fighting!"

"Even if that's so," a fourth voice sighed in resignation, this one sitting with his arms crossed before him, his head lowered against his chin in thought "I heard he's lost his custom Burais, so there's no hope."

"There IS hope." A fifth voice corrected, this one decidedly younger than those of the others, who turned to face the speaker, a young girl with bright emerald eyes, as she sat behind a screen, smiling out at them.

"The black Knights?" the fourth voice muttered, sounding both skeptical and disbelieving as he stared at the speaker "You've been infatuated with Zero since he rescued Kururugi Suzaku, We even sent him the Gurren MkII."

"Does this Zero character truly merit such interest from you, Kaguya-dono?" one of the other speakers asked, his tone decidedly more respectful "I mean, we don't even know if he's Japanese!"

"A matter I intend to rectify soon enough." A sixth, aged voice pointed out, the group turning as one to eye the eldest member of the meeting, who held his cane tightly as he climbed to his feet "I shall measure this Zero's worth."

Kaguya sighed, shaking her head as the old men rambled on about this and that. Why couldn't they just accept that her women's intuition had been right? Was it really so embarrassing that, after witnessing her estranged cousin's rescue, she would recognize their savior for what he was? Or that she would supply him with the tools to achieve his destiny?

The fact that his 'destiny', in the young girl's opinion, was to be her husband and father of her children, was something she wisely kept to herself. For one thing, she was certain that the old men would oppose it…those that survived the conniption of course.

Hey, she was young, but being head of a clan meant you had to grow up FAST.

Speaking of which, perhaps it was time to look into some of those 'Marital Arts' that she'd heard of. You were never to old to learn something new, and she wanted to ensure she was the best bride she could be.

*******

_Black Knights' Transport._

Lelouch, once again donning his Zero suit, felt a shiver race up his spine as he lounged with the Black Knight's in their mobile trailer. He didn't know why, but had the indescribable feeling that something very bad was going to happen.

'Mao should be showing up any day now.' The revolutionary noted, his thoughts grim as he recalled C.C's deranged, mind-reading former contractor, and how he'd manipulated the prince so easily, forcing him to Geass Shirley, and even placing Nunnally in danger.

'Fortunately, I had precautions set up.' He noted with a smirk, recalling giving Jeremiah explicit instructions to have the entire Britannian information network tracking any signs of the telepath. So far, there'd been a few sightings on the street cameras, but Mau was apparently used to relying on back-alleys to move about. It made, sense, there were less people to meet, which meant he wouldn't be overwhelmed by his liability.

'The problem is…how do I keep him from getting into my head?' the elder Lamperouge muttered, his helmet lowering as he held his chin 'At a 500m radius, it wouldn't be to hard to keep him off campus…' he narrowed his eyes 'The problem is, he'd get suspicious if campus security tightened…and it'd make slipping out difficult.'

"Kyoto praised us for using the Gurren MkII so well." Ohgi reported, the former school teacher and leader of the rebels snapping Zero out of his dark thoughts "I thought that was pretty encouraging."

"We even managed to take out that white armored Knightmare that Britannia was testing." Kallen agreed, a small smile on the Gurren Pilot's face as she read over a manual that had come with her new Knightmare.

"I'll say!" Tamaki snorted, the loud, redheaded revolutionary grinning smugly as he lounged on the sofa "Man, I'll bet those Britannian bastards were shitting bricks when they lost their precious new toy."

"We didn't destroy it," Kallen pointed out, a frown of concern marring her features, though internally she was rather chuffed with her achievement all the same "we just disabled it for a while...it'll be back."

"Here," Ohgi spoke up, the former school teacher catching Zero's attention, cutting off Tamaki's cackled reassurances at the redhead, which were earning annoyed responses for his efforts "A love Letter."

"Why Ohgi," Zero chuckled, the masked Vigilante's tone laced with wry amusement as he tilted his helmet to look up at the confused rebel, almost as if he were quirking an eyebrow "I had no idea you cared."

"T-that's not it!" Ohgi insisted, the mortified rebel fighting down an angry blush even as Tamaki fell on the floor, holding his sides from laughing so hard, "It's an official letter from Kyoto," he insisted, coughing to recover his composure "they urgently request a meeting."

"Well now." Zero noted, flipping the letter over as Kallen stomped on Tamaki's head to calm the older rebel down "It seems all our hard work finally paid off…" he paused, holding the envelope up to his mask and sniffing "Ohgi? Why does this smell of perfume?"

Ohgi blinked, lifting his hand to his nose and sniffing it, eyes widening as he caught the rest of the Knights looking at him oddly "I didn't do it!"

Needless to say, the meeting adjourned rather quickly that evening.

*******

_Ashford Academy, later that evening._

'Okay…' Lelouch muttered, entering the academy via one of the maintenance tunnels, briefcase in one hand, and the scented invitation in the other 'As an unnerving as that was, I can guess who was behind that little trick.' He shook his head at the memory of his supposed 'wife', recalling how mature, or rather blasé, she'd been regarding his 'being manly' with other women 'She's like the polar opposite of Suzaku…hard to believe they're cousins…hm?'

He paused, a slight scuffling noise from the Council room drawing his attention to the door, which was open a jar. That in itself was strange, as only the council members and faculty had the keycard necessary to open it, and the janitor should have already completed his rounds by now.

'And are those…moans I hear?' the prince wondered, eyes narrowing as he slipped closer to the door, switching his briefcase to his left hand, as he slipped his right into his jacket, where he kept the pistol he'd swiped from Villetta 'Could it be…has Mau already slipped in?!'

Cursing himself for not having security beefed up, the teen pressed against the wall, slowly inching around the doorframe, ready to put a bullet between the telepath's eyes the second he came into view. Peering inside, the former demon emperor could only blink at the sight of a small, decidedly female silhouette, standing near a table, the rustling of cloth accompanied by moans from her trembling figure.

"Nina?" the elder Lamperouge called out, recognizing that voice, particularly her startled squeak of alarm as she jumped at his voice, the former demon emperor stepping into the room as she fell to the floor "Are you okay?!"

"Don't turn on the light!" the xenophobic girl cried out, a second too late, as Lelouch's hand had already flicked the switch, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of the bespectacled girl with her underwear around her ankles, her face a bright red from shame.

"What on earth…" Lelouch muttered, his nose twitching as he caught the sweet, tangy scent that lingered in the air, his eyes widening as he gaped at the trembling girl in shock "Nina…where you…?"

"Don't look!" the bespectacled girl pleaded, averting her eyes and trying desperately to cover herself, only to trip as she pulled her pants up, giving the Vice-President a good look of her posterior "OH NO!"

Faced with the image before him, Lelouch was torn between shock, having never expected the shy girl to do something like this, and approval, as Nina WAS cute in her own, bookish manner. That being said, the teen wisely deduced that it wouldn't do for someone to walk in on them at that moment, it might give people the wrong idea, and the last thing he needed was a rape charge to his credit.

As such, he turned his back on the mortified girl, using his personal card key to close and lock the door to the room, waiting a few seconds out of courtesy before turning back to face her.

"Um…sorry." He offered, taking in her slumped posture and woebegone expression as she gripped the rim of her skirt "I heard a weird noise and thought someone had broken in…I didn't know you were still…" he coughed "In here."

"P-Please don't tell anyone!" Nina pleaded, the mortified, green haired girl looking up at the Vice-President in desperation, tears rimming her eyes as she wrng her hands before her "If, if anyone found out-!"

"Nina! Calm down!" Lelouch insisted, startling her as he stepped forwards his features calming "Why would I tell anyone? It's not like I KNEW you were in here." He coughed, scratching his nose nervously "And besides…it's not like what you did was…unnatural."

Nina flushed and averted her gaze, her knuckles tightening as she gripped her skirt "B-But…if anyone finds out that I-!" She trailed off as Lelouch gripped her chin, forcing her to look up into his eyes, the shy girl blinking as she gazed into the teen's purple eye.

"They're not going to find out." Lelouch assured her, smiling at the flushing girl as he spoke, his tone soothing "I'm not the type of person that goes around spreading tales about people." He snorted "Believe me, I've walked in on Rivalz jacking off to pictures of Milly more times than I'd care to remember."

Nina Flushed, turning her head and breaking her gaze away from the purple eyed teen's, uttering a soft 'thank you' as she tried to still her beating heart. That and try to get the image of Rivalz spanking the monkey out of her head.

"By the way…" Lelouch spoke up, drawing her attention back to himself, the elder Lamperouge walking over to the table she'd been leaning against "If you DO feel the urge to…relieve yourself…it'd be smart to lock the door first."

"I'll…remember that…" Nina stammered, the poor young woman feeling absolutely mortified with herself as she averted her gaze, only to look up with a gasp as she espied her magazine in the teen's hand.

"Isn't this a Gossip Magazine?" Lelouch asked, the elder Lamperouge quirking an eyebrow at the cover of the Britannian propaganda pusher with a scoff "There's nothing in here but Britannian propagan…da?"

He trailed off, his eyes widening as he opened the magazine to the page Nina had marked, gaping in shock as Euphemia's face gazed up at him from the covers. He blinked, features a mask of stunned disbelief as he looked between the flushing Nina and the picture of his half-sister, completely lost for words.

'I knew she idolized Euphie because of her stepping in to save her…' he muttered, recalling the conversations he'd had with the girl in his previous life, not to mention her many...MANY attempts on Zero's life 'But…I never knew it was THIS bad!'

"You…think I'm weird don't you…" Nina muttered, looking down at the ground, her eyes averted out of shame "I don't blame you…but even if I know it's wrong…"

Lelouch blinked, gazing at the downtrodden girl for a moment, shock still apparent on his face, taking in the girl's posture for a moment, before deciding to run damage control. "Well…" he muttered after a moment's silence, clearing his throat diplomatically before turning his gaze back to the magazine with a chuckle "I suppose I can't really call you weird for being attracted to the princess." He smiled as the girl looked up at him in surprise "After all, Euphemia IS rather pretty..." his gaze softened as he eyed the pink haired royal fondly "Beautiful in fact…"

Nina blinked, looking at the expression on Lelouch's face in surprise. It almost looked…wistful, as if he was gazing at a picture of a long forgotten friend…or lover.

"Of course, her sister Cornelia's just as ravishing." The elder Lamperouge continued, smiling at the look of shock on Nina's face "Especially whenever she's in battle, why I wouldn't be surprised if Euphemia grew up to be just as…tantalizing."

Nina blushed scarlet, as she'd seen several images of the witch of Britannia, and had to admit the elder Princess WAS Beautiful, if a bit intimidating.

"Still, I think I should warn you that the princesses are VERY close." Lelouch pointed out, the elder Lamperouge smiling at the confused girl coyly "I'm pretty sure that they come as a 'matched set', if you know what I mean."

"V-VICE-PRESIDENT!" Nina gasped, the bespectacled girl covering her mouth and turning away from the purple-eyed teen's teasing stare, her features heating up at the insinuation "It isn't-! I mean I'm not-!"

"There's no need to act so sheltered." Lelouch assured her, the Vice-President surprising the girl by coming up behind her and turning her to face him "It's simply a harmless crush…everyone gets them…"

"Even…you?" Nina asked, the xenophobic young woman looking up at the purple-eyed teen timidly, only to flush as he smiled at her, those regal features sending a little thrill of excitement through her body.

"Despite Rivalz and Milley's ribbing, I AM a healthy young man, remember?" Lelouch reminded the girl, pinching her nose and earning a nervous giggle "And how could I not with FOUR beautiful women on the council with me."

"F-Four?" Nina repeated, blinking in confusion as a small, satisfied blush covered her cheeks 'He can't mean…me can he?' she wondered in confusion 'Shirley, Kallen and the President I could understand…but me?'

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Lelouch spoke up, as if reading her mind, the shy girl looking up just in time for the taller teen to cup her cheek with his palm "You're a very beautiful young woman Nina, you just need to be more confident in yourself."

Nina's glasses fogged up the girl letting out a choked squeak as she collapsed, Lelouch barely managing to catch her before she hit the floor.

'Well…this isn't good…' he muttered, sweatdropping as he realized what kind of image this would present if he was seen carrying her down the hall 'Better call C.C…'

*******

_Student Council Room...the Following Morning._

Nina awoke the following morning, the shy girl wincing from stiff muscles, only to blink as she realized she was sitting at her terminal in the Student council room.

'How…?' she wondered, eyes widening as she recalled the events of last night, only to blink at the sight of her monitor, where a half-finished report was blinking onscreen 'Whew…' she sighed, filled with relief at the sight of the manuscript 'I must have dropped off…it was all a dream.'

She blushed as she recalled Lelouch's hand on her face, the teen's purple eyes gazing into her own, flinching slightly at the feeling of her cold, soaked panties as she rubbed her thighs together.

Needless to say, it was fortunate that today was a weekend, as Nina spent the rest of the day in her dorm room.

*******

_Shinjuku slums._

A mist filled the Shinjuku slums, the designated rendezvous point for the transport to Kyoto, casting a shadow over the ruined buildings, giving them an eerie, desolate feel.

Zero stood alone amidst the fog like a specter, his cloak waving in the breeze like the wings of a giant bat as he watched the headlights of the oncoming car draw closer. He had already ordered the Knights to secure the area, meaning there would be no-one around as he Geass'd the driver to do his bidding.

"Are you certain there's no need to change the scenario?" C.C asked, the immortal witch walking out in a replica Zero Suit of her own, helmet held under her arm "I mean, why go to all the trouble?"

"Blame it on my penchant for the theatrical," Lelouch scoffed, the elder Lamperouge slipping into the drivers uniform as the man clambered into the trunk where he'd remain asleep until someone let him out "That said, we both know it's the only way I'll get past Kirihara's guards."

"If you insist." C.C sighed, though there was a coy smile on her face as she tucked her long green locks into the Zero helmet "You know, I could get used to this." she admitted, her voice modulated to sound like Zero's.

"You do wear the outfit well." Lelouch agreed, the elder Lampreouge collapsing his own helmet and placing it on the seat nearby, opening the door for his contractor to climb in, before calling up Kallen on the radio "It's time, fall in."

*******

_Lancelot's Trailer._

"Lloyd?" Cecile called out, the bluenette technician peaking into her boss' private office, or the Pudding lair as many of the tech's called it, where he'd sequestered himself for the past few days "Are you in here?"

"Ah, Cecile." The Earl of Pudding greeted, his fingers blurring away as he stared at the computer screen, several empty packets of pudding littering the floor around his desk, his wastepaper basket overflowing "Did you need something?"

"I merely brought you some coffee." The technician reported cheerfully, carrying in a tray with the aforementioned caffeine drink and a stack of papers "Also, the repair report for the Lancelot."

Lloyd twitched but said nothing, a clear sign that he was slowly getting over having his masterpiece trashed by the Black Knights, more specifically the red Knightmare. At the very least it was an improvement to having to bodily restrain him from going on a rampage.

'God, thank you for giving him a sweet tooth.' The technician praised gratefuly, as usually all it took was her threatening to ban him from eating his precious puddings to get her boss to calm down.

"I was actually going over the specs myself." Lloyd admitted, accepting the coffee and nodding at the screen "Take a look at this…it's the damage report from the units ambushed by the Black Knights." He smirked as Cecile read the data "It would appear my guess was right."

"A Radiant Surge." The bluenette technician noted grimly, her keen eyes and technical knowledge matching the damages to the Sutherlands to those that had been suffered be the Lancelot "Which means…"

"Rakshata." Lloyd agreed, the Earl of Pudding recalling the buxom, blonde Indian woman, one of his long time scientific competitors since college "My, I never would have expected HER to side with our enemies…"

*******

_Kyoto Group Meeting...Mount Fuji..._

"No freaking way…" Tamaki stammered, the spiky haired rebel gaping in shock at the sight before him, unable to believe his eyes, an opinion shared by the entirety of the Black Knight representatives.

They had seen many strange things since teaming up with Zero, they'd seen him rescue a convicted felon, on international television no less, without firing a single shot, they'd seen Cornelia, the famed Witch of Britannia, outsmarted twice, they'd seen themselves elevated from rebels to Revolutionaries, and then to 'Knights for Justice'.

By now, many of them had come to EXPECT the impossible from Zero, it certainly made it easier to accept the fact that he seemed to know EXACTLY what to do, and when.

Of course, being called out to a meeting with Kyoto, and finding themselves gazing upon the violated Mt. Fuji, apparently without any fear of being discovered, the Black Knights found themselves wondering just how their illustrious leader could top the bombshell the old man behind the curtain had dropped on them.

And then the old man had ordered Ohgi to remove the revolutionary's mask.

"Zero's…a woman?!" Tamaki gaped, the stunned redhead staring at the, admittedly stunning, green haired beauty in surprise as her features were revealed to all, flushing slightly as she smiled at him.

"What's the matter, Tamaki?" the vision asked, eyeing the stammering man coyly, one hand resting on her hip, which was sticking out to the side tauntingly "Is it so surprising that your leader be a woman?"

"You're not Zero!" Kallen countered, waving a hand for emphasis at the greenette her eyes narrowed in suspicion "I saw her before, she was with Zero after Narita-!"

The groups eyes, and those of the guards and Frame pilots, bulged out of their skulls as C.C stepped forward, grabbed Kallen's head, and promptly seized the started redhead's lips with her own, holding the struggling redhead in place with surprising strength.

'If I wasn't so weirded out…this'd be the hottest thing I've ever seen.' Ohgi muttered, unable to tear his eyes away from then sight of his best friend's sister being snogged by an equally beautiful woman. Tamaki, pervert that he was, was already snapping off pictures with his cell phone.

"ENOUGH!" the old man behind the curtain demanded, his cane cracking down on the floor, snapping everyone out of their daze, anger and irritation evident in his tone "You there…girl…is it true you aren't Zero?"

"It is." C.C admitted, releasing Kallen's lips with an audible pop, holding the dazed redhead close, like a doll, as she smiled at the man behind the screen "Nor am I Japanese…Clan ruler of Kyoto…Kirihara Taizo."

The guards instantly went on alert, protocol demanding that anyone that identified their leader be executed, regardless of their identity. There were members of the resistance that didn't even know who they fought for, there was no way the Black Knights, whose leader hadn't even deigned to show up, were getting out of here alive.

Then one of the Burai's assigned to guard the elder launched it's harkens, the grapnels disarming the two across from it, even as it used it's blades to stab the fourth, before drawing it's firearm and leveling it right at Kirihara's face.

"Such soft, outdated methods are beneath you, Kirihara-dono." A cultured, modulated voice declared over the speakers, the Black Knight's eyes widening as Zero clambered out of the Knightmare's hatch "You'll never defeat Britannia at this rate."

The rebel disembarked from the Knightmare, walking towards the pagoda, remote control in hand to dissuade anything untoward, like bullets fired in his general direction.

"Kirihara Taizo…founder of Kirihara industries, which holds a monopoly on Sakuradite mining." He recited "Originally a key backer of the Kururugi regime, however, when Japan fell you dodged the tribunals by collaborating with the colonial rulers…earning you the title of 'Kirihara the Traitor'…" he scoffed "In truth, you are the leader of one of the six houses of Kyoto, who support resistance groups throughout Japan…"

"Show some respect you swine!" one of the guards demanded, levelling a gun at the vigilante for his daring, only to halt as Kirihara barked at him to remain silent, the old man's eyes narrowed at the masked interloper.

"Despite your cliché methods, your suspicions are indeed correct." Zero continued, locking gazes with the old man "I, am NOT Japanese."

Kirihara held his calm, even as his suspicions were confirmed, and Zero's revelation resulted in gasps of shock from the Black Knights. "If this is true, and you aren't Japanese…" the old man asked cautiously "Then WHY do you fight for Japan? What is it you want?"

"My goal is to destroy the corrupt Britannia." Zero revealed, earning looks of skepticism from the Kyoto guards, which was completely understandable in consideration "I've made that quite clear since my first appearance."

"And do you believe this is possible?" Kirihara demanded, the aged, balding friend of the late Prime Minister eyeing the masked man before him carefully, as if to measure his response before passing judgement "That YOU can do what countless others have failed?"

"You of all people should know my answer to that…" Zero replied, surprising everyone as he reached up and removed his helmet, revealing his face where only Kirihara could see it "It has been too long…Kirihara-dono."

* * *

And I'll just leave off there methinks.

Kallen: WHAT THE HELL?!?!

C.C: oh come on, you know you liked it.

Kallen: I did not!

C.C: Oh? I mustn't have done it right...*proceeds to snog*

Lelouch: and people say I'M a playboy (shakes head in disbeleif as the cries turn to moans)

Kyugan: Oh Come on, you knew this was bound to happen eventually.

Lelouch: Do I look like I'm compalining? (pulls out camera) This is revenge for leaving me to Suzaku!

Kyugan: You're twisted...and I like that.

R.R: Idiots...


	15. Chapter 15

Been a while since this one updated.

R.R: That is has.

Kyugan: Many of you have been pointing out my bashing of Suzaku...and my reason for it is because I hate the guy.

R.R: Stay in target.

Kyugan: I mean not only does he kill his father, abandon his people, and sell out his best friend to serve his own ends, he uses said friend's BLIND, CRIPPLED little sister as bait.

R.R: Stay on Target!

Kyugan: Seriously, I was so pissed when I saw that scene that I damn nearput my foot through the computer screen...and seeing as it's my dad's computer, that should explain a LOT.

R.R: STAY ON FRIGGIN' TARGET!

Kyugan: So for all you Suzaku fans out there, sorry, but Lancelot's pilot (Kinda ironic, a traitor piloting a mech NAMED after a traitor) ain't getting any in my fics. EVER.

And with that, let us continue.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Precautions.

The second Kirihara Taizo saw the face hidden beneath the mask of Zero, the elder of Kyoto felt an inexplicable sense of wonderment wash over him, the same kind of feeling that a man would feel upon gaining enlightenment, or upon laying eyes on a son that, to this moment, had been lost, all but forgotten.

"Is it really you?" he asked, voice filled with reverent awe, as if trying to discern whether the young man before him were a hallucination. Zero's, or rather Lelouch's response, was to kneel down, helmet held under his arm, his head bowed in an act of respect.

"It's been eight long years, Kirihara-dono…" the exiled prince offered "I cannot thank you enough for the care you gave my sister and I, despite knowing of our heritage." He lowered his head again "Now, once again I come before you, asking for your help, to bring justice back to this world, to DESTROY the corruption that plagues not only my adoptive homeland, but all those touched by the madness of Charles zi Britannia."

Several of the onlookers blinked, shocked at the man's mentioning of the Emperor's name, shivering at the venom in the revolutionary's tone, only to look up as Kirihara snorted.

"So…" the old man chuckled, lips quirking in a wry smirk "The seeds sown eight years ago have finally bloomed…" he noted, before breaking into full on laughter, earning more than a few shocked stares from the onlookers.

"OHGI!" the old man called out, startling the stunned former rebel out of his daze "This man is a true enemy of Britannia!" he nodded at the rebel "His face must remain hidden for vital reasons, but I URGE you to follow Zero." He gazed into the man's eyes "Do so, and we shall assist you generously, with information, and strategic support."

"Once again, I am in your dept, Kirihara-dono." Lelouch offered, his head bowing low as he placed one hand on the floor "However, much has changed since last we met…" he looked up into the old man's eyes, careful to keep his left one shut "I have much to tell you. Information regarding Britannia's motives…and the source of the Emperor's power…"

Kirihara blinked, before frowning, nodding his head in understanding, gesturing to his men "Leave us, and contact the other members of the six families."

"My comrades already know of what I speak." Lelouch admitted, placing his mask back on, once again donning the guise of Zero before any of the guards saw his face "It is the source of this war, and the means by which we can end it."

******_*_

_Several hours later._..

"I can't believe this…" Tamaki muttered, leaning against the wall alongside the rest of the Black Knights, as Zero spoke with the assorted heads of the Six Families "Can you believe this? One minute we've got guns pointed at us…now we're practically sitting in on their war plans!"

"Seems Zero wasn't bluffing when he said he had connections." Ohgi muttered, looking over at Kirihara, who was sitting Seiza style alongside Zero, in a circle with the other heads of houses "But to think he had ties to the houses of Kyoto…"

"I hear ya…" Tamaki agreed, the male redhead of the black knights whistling through his teeth as he leant back against the wall, hands in his pockets "Man, if he had connections like that, why didn't he use 'em sooner?"

"Because he needed the time to earn your trust and support." C.C Pointed out, the green haired woman startling the Black Knights as she sauntered up to them, still dressed in her Zero outfit "That, and he wanted them to see that, even without their support, the Black Knights were capable of living up to their reputation."

"YOU!" Kallen exclaimed, the volatile redhead stamping forward and getting in the immortal witch's face, her own a mask of anger and embarrassment as she grabbed a fistful of the green haired woman's shirt "How dare you do that to me!"

"What? Oh, the kiss?" C.C asked, looking the redhead over, her golden eyes shining with amusement as she shrugged "It was a spur of the moment kind of thing…though truth be told you ARE rather attractive…" he eyes danced teasingly "and you didn't put up much of a fight."

"B-BAKA!" Kallen stammered, the redhead stamping her feet and waving her arms angrily, quite red in the face from the woman's words as she tried to deny them "I'm not…I DON'T SWING THAT WAY!"

"Neither do I." C.C assured her, earning a look of confusion from the redhead girl as she shrugged "Truth be told, it doesn't matter to me," she smirked at the redhead "male, female…both are open game."

"I think I'm in love…" Tamaki whispered, even as Kallen turned red in the face once more, a stunned Ohgi simply nodding his head in agreement as the catfight started up anew.

*******

_With Zero and the Kyoto leaders..._

"This is incredible…" one of the elders muttered, his brows furrowed in wonderment as they looked over a list of documents that Zero had presented to the group as 'evidence' "Where did you get these?"

"One of my sources is a member of the Britannian Military." Zero admitted, earning looks of impressed wonder from the heads "These files were copied from the late Prince Clovis' personal research into the power of Geass."

"To think that such an awesome power exists…" another of the committee murmured, reading over the documents with a darkening expression "And this plan the emperor has conceived…it's nothing short of genocide!"

"He's a madman!" a third member agreed, thumping his fist on the small table that had been laid out before them, causing their tea cups to jump "We cannot sit back and let him complete this madness!"

"The emperor requires two things before he can initiate the Ragnarok Connection." Zero assured the group, holding up a finger "One, is to ensure that his brother, V.V, the only other person that possesses the power of 'code', is dead, and that same ability is transferred to himself." he held up another "Second, C.C needs to be there when he activates it, as it requires two possessors of 'code' to initiate the procedure."

"Statistically speaking, we could circumvent his plans simply by protecting C.C-dono." One of the heads noted, stroking his beard in thought "It would be a simple matter to hide her in one of our facilities, perhaps shifting her around to avoid detection."

"No." Kirihara countered "The Emperor at least suspects that C.C-dono is somewhere in Japan." He nodded towards the immortal woman "He would stop at nothing to track her down, even if the rumors of her being in an area were simply that."

"Then what do you intend to do?" another head demanded, turning to regard the eldest member with a quirked eyebrow, his eyes deep and lined with confusion "Surely not challenge Britannia itself?"

"No." Zero assured the man, drawing attention to himself "For now, we consolidate our forces here, in Japan." He instructed, tapping a map of the nation on the table for emphasis "I have a plan that will not only herald in the return Japan's pride, but also the arrival of the key to correcting the corrupt Britannian rule."

"What is this 'Plan'?" one of the more skeptical heads of the families asked, eyeing the masked vigilante suspiciously, as despite Kirihara's trust, he still felt skeptical "Kirihara-san has spoken for you, but even that has its limits."

"My plan is simplicity itself." Zero informed them "The corruption that infests Britannia is the result of the machinations of Charles zi Britannia, and his brother, V.V." he nodded for emphasis, tapping a map of the globe "Their goal is to create a 'perfect world' but in doing so, they're simply erasing humanity as we know it." He sighed "Sadly, even if we took this knowledge to the press, they would never buy it…I doubt you would either, were it not for the examples I gave and Kirihara-dono's support."

That was most certainly true. The moment he'd first explained it, the heads of houses had instantly demanded proof of the power of Geass, many of them prepared to deem this as a joke on behalf of Kirihara. Their skepticisms were soon erased, when Zero has used his Geass on several of their bodyguards, forcing them to perform a stirring, perfectly choreographed rendition of the 'YMCA', NAKED.

It was all the more impressive that it was performed in English, despite the fact that none of the guards could speak a word of the language.

"When the head is corrupt, the limbs fall to ruin." Zero quoted, catching their attention once more as he held a finger in the air "I thus propose that, in order to correct this wrong, we not only remove Charles from power, but help ensure that an heir sympathetic to our cause assumes the throne."

"Sympathetic?" one of the heads repeated, the group, with the exception of Kirihara, staring at the revolutionary in confusion "Are you saying you have the support of a member of the Royal family?!"

"Not yet," Zero admitted, pulling out a folder "However, she has long been a supporter of peace, the very idea of hurting another person is as abhorrent to her as the disgrace leveled on your countrymen is to you." He smirked "It doesn't hurt that she has the Witch of Britannia as her protector either."

"Intriguing." Kirihara noted, even as murmurs broke out around the table "Not only do we replace the corrupt head with a suitable heir, but we can be certain that at least ONE member of the Royal family won't act against her."

"Are you certain you can do it?" another of the head's asked, looking directly into Zero's mask, his eyes hard and focused, a sign of proud samurai ancestry if there ever was one "Can you bring her to our side?"

"She is already on it." Zero assured the man, looking down at the picture of Euphemia in the folder before him "She simply isn't aware of it yet."

*******

_The Park..._

Shirley looked at her watch, pouting slightly as it ticked away, before crossing her arms with a huff, waiting for Lelouch to show up for their date.

The Elder Lamperouge had called her earlier on, warning her that he'd be a little late, and that she should go on without him, promising to meet her at the concert if she did. But Shirley had stubbornly stuck around, the concert wasn't until much later after all, and it wasn't as if she couldn't grab a taxi if she had to.

No, the reason she stuck around was she WANTED Lelouch to show up, just to see if he really kept his word or not.

'He's over half an hour late.' She noted, her pout settling into an upset frown as she huffed, shaking her head with a sigh "Honestly…what kind of gentleman is he? Keeping a woman waiting this long."

"My apologies." A bemused voice chuckled from behind, Shirley shrieking, jumping three feet in the air before whipping round to find a smiling Lelouch walking towards her, hands in his pockets, dressed in his red jacket and black jeans from the other day, his eyepatch replaced by smart purple shades.

"L-LULU!" the orangette stammered, her hand on her chest as she fought to still her racing heart, looking up at the elder Lamperouge in anger "You scared the life out of me-!"

She trailed off as Lelouch hugged her, pulling her in close to him, one hand holding the back of her head, the other resting on the small of her back. "I'm sorry." The eye patch sporting teen offered, his voice honestly apologetic as he continued to embrace the girl, heedless of the stares they were getting from the other park patrons "My business ran a little over schedule…I'd honestly expected you to have gone on ahead…" he smiled, resting his head against her own "But I'm here now…thank you for waiting."

"Lulu…" Shirley breathed, the orangette trembling as she brought her arms up, pausing hesitantly, before placing the on the teen's back, hugging him closer to her as she closed her eyes, a soft smile coming to her face as she breathed in the scent of silk and lavender that was her crush's scent.

They stood there for a minute, the park patrons looking on in bemused approval, many of them purposely going out of their way to avoid walking in on the touching moment, before Lelouch stepped back, smiling down at the girl, hands on her shoulders.

"Well then, I think it'd be smarter to get a cab, rather than try to run all the way there." The elder Lamperouge noted, smiling as he gestured towards the parked cab not twenty feet away from them, the cabbie's eyebrows waggling suggestively.

"True…" Shirley giggled, trying not to flush at the knowing looks they were receiving as she looked up at her longtime crush with a guilty look of mirth in her eyes "For one thing, you'd probably collapse before we made it."

"Just for that, I'm NOT buying you an ice cream." Lelouch growled, though there was a playful note to it as he followed the giggling girl to the waiting taxi, watching her move before him, as if in slow motion.

'I won't let Mao get his claws into you, Shirley.' He vowed, his features hardening at the memory of how the twisted telepath had manipulated the girl, almost manipulating her into shooting him, giving her a nervous breakdown that forced Lelouch to Geass her memories away 'Not this time.'

*******

_Lancelot Support Trailer._

"Suzaku-kun!" Cecile called out, racing towards the Honorary Britannian, who had risked coming to the Camelot trailer to check up on Lloyd "Big news! Viceroy Cornelia wants you to take part in the next operation!"

"Is the Lancelot repaired?" the Warrant officer asked, looking at the bluenette technician in surprise, as last he'd heard the White Knightmare was still in for the long haul, a fact that STILL sent Lloyd into a murderous rage.

"Sadly, no." Lloyd's sarcastic voice spoke out, the Warrant officer turning to find the earl of pudding walking towards him with his usual slouch "However, she's permitted you to pilot one of the Gloucesters she brought with them, you'll be acting under the direct command of Guilford, her Knight."

"This is a big thing!" Cecile insisted, looking at her young colleague excitedly "The Viceroy almost never accepts help from non-Britannians, for her to willingly assign you one of her personal Gloucesters…"

"It's a sign of your going up in the world to be certain." Lloyd opined, though the lord of puddings' lilting tone gave the words a trace of mockery, as if he considered it all to be a great joke. To him it probably was.

"Is there any suggestion that Zero will be involved?" Suzaku asked, a frown marring the warrant officer's face at the mention of the man, ready to avenge the Lancelot by capturing the revolutionary once and for all.

"Afraid not." Lloyd countered, the Earl of pudding's nasal tone making it sound as if he wasn't all that sorry, after all it wasn't Zero who'd hurt his precious Lancelot, not directly anyways "It seems Cornelia's cornered remnants of the J.L.F, led by General Katase, at a harbor."

*******

_Black Knight's Temporary HQ..._

"Our objective is to aid in General Katase's escape by destroying Cornelia's Knights and the Royal marines." Zero announced, standing before the assembled Black Knights, with the Gurren and his custom Burai behind him "We will remind the Britannia exactly why they lost during Narita, and ensure the safety of our allies."

"I don't know." Ohgi muttered, the 2nd in command looking troubled as he gazed up at his leader, dressed in his Black Knight uniform like all the others "I mean, I know it's a request from Kyoto, but helping the J.L.F escape overseas…"

"They suffered heavy losses prior to our involvement at Narita." Zero assured the man, nodding his head towards Ohgi as he spoke "General Katase is one of the few remaining leaders of the group aside from Todoh, who won't be able to make it in time to assist with the evacuation."

"Not to mention he lost his custom Burais during the battle with Cornelia's troops." C.C pointed out, the green haired immortal leaning against the Gurren's leg, much to Kallen's obvious distaste "And with Cornelia clamping down on their supply routes, it's hard to get hold of even a secondhand Glasgow."

"Therefore, it's up to us to secure the escape route." Zero concluded, the revolutionary spreading his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire room "Comrades, Cock your hammers! For tonight, we ride to conquest!"

The Knights cheered, many of them new recruits, freshly joined after the Narita incident and eager for their first taste of battle. The senior members held more decorum, but were nonetheless motivated by their leader's speech, a fact that Diethard Reed, who'd provided the Intel on Cornelia's movements, noted with a hint of approval.

"I have matters to attend to before we can mobilize our forces." Zero announced over the din, nodding his head towards Ohgi as he spoke "Ohgi, you're in command until my return."

Ohgi nodded to show he'd heard, before directing the Knights to make ready for the operation, dragging a bemused Diethard along to get the Britannian journalist outfitted. Once the coast was clear, Lelouch nodded to C.C, who followed him into his private quarters on the Black Knight's trailer, handing him a mobile phone after pressing the speed dial.

"Orange." Lelouch greeted, the elder Lamperouge removing his helmet to speak to his secret mole in the Britannian military, a smirk on his face as C.C walked in "Have you made the arrangements I asked about?"

"Yes, excellency." The former margrave reported, speaking in a hushed, confidential tone, the sound of a keyboard typing in the background "Though, do you REALLY think this is necessary, my Lord?"

"Call it a matter of precaution." Lelouch offered, his tone consoling "I've already seen Villetta tailing me off campus, though so far I haven't done anything to attract her suspicions. Better that we nip this in the bud while we can, to focus on the more immediate threat."

"You mean this Mao character." The margrave noted, his voice grim "As requested, I spread his description to the media, and doctored a story for them to announce. The next time he appears in public, we'll have people calling in to report sightings of the 'Serial rapist and Child murderer' wherever he goes."

"Excellent." Lelouch noted, smirking with approval at his Knight's methods "It should confuse and disorientate him, as well as limit his movements to those few areas without surveillance."

"In which case he is likely to run into one of the numerous patrols Cornelia has arranged to track down the Black Knights." Jeremiah agreed, filled with confidence at the approval in the former Emperor's tone "By the time we reel him in, he won't know what hit him."

"I'll have the Knights avoid the ghettos for the duration of the exercise." Zero informed him, sinking into his chair, C.C climbing onto his lap "Make sure Cornelia doesn't learn of him, the last thing we need is her trying to recruit Mao for his Geass."

"I'll issue orders to my men and the police to kill on sight." Jeremiah agreed, his voice grim as he recalled what C.C had informed him of Mao's character "But are you certain this is the best way to handle this?"

"Bluntly? No." Lelouch admitted with a frown, stroking C.C's hair as she leant against his chest "I only won against Mao last time because of his overconfidence and erasing my memories of the plan, but this time I can't afford to let him near me." He narrowed his eyes "I can't let him learn what I know…continue with discretion, Orange."

"Yes, my Lord." Jeremiah saluted quietly, the former Margrave's tone reverent, before hanging up the connection, no doubt putting his latest orders into effect, leaving Lelouch to look into C.C's eyes.

"Ready to continue where we left off?" the immortal witch asked, a coy smile on her face as she stroked her contractor's cheek with the back of one hand, looking like a cat that got the canary pizza.

"You're CERTAIN this is the best way to keep Mao from looking into my mind?" Lelouch asked, his tone questioning as he quirked an eyebrow at the woman "How do I know this isn't just your attempt to assert control over me?"

"I already control you." C.C pointed out with a wry smile, kissing the revolutionary on the lips, before pulling him into a hug "Now come here…"

*******

_A Bar in the Tokyo Settlement..._

Villetta Nu scowled as she sat at a bar in one of the nicer areas of Area 11. The dark skinned pilot and former member of the purists dressed in her usual purple dress uniform, her military insignia visible on her shoulders as she waited for Jeremiah to show up.

Her former commander and long-time friend had called her, out of the blue, asking her to meet him for a get together, to celebrate their return to rank, even if it was a far cry from the prestige they once held in the wake of Jeremiah's disgrace.

'Zero…' she muttered, her eyes narrowing as she gazed upon the picture of a Britannian schoolboy she'd brought with her. Ever since her memory loss at the Shinjuku ghetto, Villetta had been wondering just what on earth had happened to her. When Bartley and Jeremiah exhibited similar signs of memory loss, she began to wonder if Zero somehow had the ability to manipulate memories.

It was a long shot, but it would explain why Jeremiah, a staunch protestor of the rights of Elevens, would suddenly turn on his own men, only to have no recollection.

'What's his connection with this boy though?' she wondered, gazing down at a photo of Lelouch Lamperouge, a student at the prestigious Ashford academy. According to her research, he was one of the three students that were reported in the Shinjuku area at the time of Clovis' death, the others being Suzaku Kururugi, and another classmate, named Rivalz.

But Kururugi had been already proved innocent, and Rivalz had been removed from the scene prior to the operation by the Military police, given a hefty fine for being off-campus during school hours. The records from the academy had stated that Lelouch had also been punished for his involvement, but no such record existed in the police report.

The police had not seen the boy, leaving or entering the area.

"Sorry I'm late." Jeremiah's voice greeted, the green haired former Margrave pulling up a chair, sitting across from his friend with a smile, sunglasses on his face "I was caught up at HQ, planning for the next battle and all."

"Not a problem." Villetta assured him, putting the picture out of sight before he questioned her about it, smiling up at him as a waiter came towards them, a drinks menu in hand "What did you want to talk about?"

Jeremiah's face grew solemn, reaching up to pull down his sunglasses, revealing his artificial eye, the inverted Geass symbol glowing as he looked into the woman's eyes. Villetta blinked, a blue haze falling briefly over her vision, only to gape as a sudden insight washed over her, the red haze that had clouded her memory of the ghetto vanishing as if struck by sunlight.

'That boy!' she exclaimed, her golden eyes widening as the memory that had eluded her so deftly suddenly sprang to the forefront of her mind like a coiled spring 'He IS involved in this! He stole my Sutherland and-!'

"Excuse me, miss." The waiter announced at her elbow, Villetta turning round to dismiss him, only for her eyes to widen as Lelouch, dressed in Rivalz's spare waiter uniform, smirked down at her, his Geass blazing as it bore into her mind.

* * *

And we'll leave off there for now.

What? You didn't think I was actually gonna KILL her did you?

Lelouch: I should've...when i had the chance.

Kyugan: Hindsight's a bitch ain't it, should've brainwashed clovis to do your bidding too.

Lelouch: !...GOD DAMMIT!

Kyugan: I know...I know...

This might be the last update for a while, at least until I get my referencing right.

I plan to end this on a good note, so it'll probably only go as far as season one, since Lelouch knows WAY to much for this to drag out into R2.

That said, that doesn't mean set events won't happen.


	16. Chapter 16

A good friend of mine recently pointed out that this fic has already cleared the 1000 review point, and I can think of only two words to voice my response.

HOLY CRAP.

Seriously, even Gaiden didn't rack up the reviews this quickly, and as one of my earlier works, it's something I feel iffy recalling now, back when I was on the Naruto godmode bandwagon.

As such, in order to celebrate this momentous occasion, I shall be posting an new chapter ahead of schedule.

And no, I'm not back on the Naruto wagon yet. Wait till we see if Ass-Gay lives at the end, then we'll talk.

* * *

Chapter fifteen: Mao.

'I wonder why Zero asked me to meet him in a place like this?' Ohgi wondered, looking around the Britannian bar in trepidation. Zero had called him, out of the blue, asking him to come alone to a bar, without any weapons or back up, on the evening before they were to launch their assault on Cornelia's forces.

A part of him wondered if he was actually going to see the Revolutionary unmasked, but brushed that aside as the waiter, a rather slim young boy with a medical eye patch, tapped him on the shoulder to let him know there was a call for him.

'Must be Zero.' Ohgi deduced, the curly haired former school teacher nodding his thanks and accepting the phone from the boy, making sure he'd walked out of earshot, before putting the receiver to his ear with a frown "Hello?"

"Ohgi." Zero's modulated voice greeted, the Revolutionary sounding oddly apologetic "I wanted to discuss something with you in person, but urgent matters called me away, we'll have to reschedule, head back to the Knights for now, it's time for the operation."

Ohgi sighed, a shiver racing through him at how close he'd come to seeing the revolutionary unmasked, only to blink as the same waiter from before appeared at his side.

"Sir, could you help me?" the teen asked, looking distinctly troubled as he nodded towards a figure lying across a table at the back "It's close to closing time, but that patron seems to have fallen asleep, could you take her with you?"

Ohgi sighed and nodded, making his way over to the woman, noting her obviously foreign features with a hint of interest as he shook her shoulder. "Hey, c'mon…" he muttered, his tone gentle but firm "time to go."

The woman groaned, her exotic golden eyes opening to gaze blearily up at the revolutionary who found himself staring into them in awe. "You're cute…" she murmured, earning a flush from Ohgi as she smiled up at him "You come here often?"

"Uh…no?" Ohgi stammered, the former school teacher and leader of Naoto's old rebel cell feeling distinctly put out as he felt himself get sucked in by those exotic golden eyes "Um, miss, are you alright to walk?"

"I think so." The woman murmured, attempting to stand from her chair, only to collapse drunkenly into Ohgi's arms, her legs weak and unsteady "Whoops…" she gigglied "must've hit the booze harder than I thought."

"Y-yeah…" Ohgi murmured, the Black Knight's mind racing a mile a minute from the feeling of the woman's breasts pressing up against his chest, wondering how on earth he was going to get her out of here.

"Um, sir?" the waiter from before called out, drawing the rebels attention to the bar, where he had the phone in hand "I took the liberty of arranging a cab for you and the lady, it should be out front."

Thanking heaven for small mercies and helpful busboys, Ohgi carried his unexpected passenger out of the bar, leaving the waiter a generous tip for his trouble, as the kid looked like he could do with a good meal.

Seriously he was so skinny he was almost effeminate, if not androgynous.

*******

_Inside the bar..._

As he watched Ohgi drag the intoxicated Villetta out the door, confident in the fact that she'd never connect the dots between himself and Zero, Lelouch smiled and pulled a mobile phone out of his pocket, hitting the speed dial button.

"Kallen." He muttered, confident in the voice modulator that had been built into the phone to prevent his voice being recognized "Are the preparations ready?"

"We're just waiting for you and Ohgi to come back." The redhead assured him, sounding concerned and curious at the same time "Um, Zero…what did you want to talk with him about?"

"We never got the chance," Lelouch assured her, sighing sadly as he leant against the wall, a small smile on his face "Something came up, so we had to reschedule."

"Oh…I see…" Kallen muttered, Lelouch quirking an eyebrow at the hints of relief and disappointment in the redhead's tone.

"I'll be back shortly." He assured her, removing his borrowed bow tie with a flick of the wrist, stuffing it into his pocket as he walked towards the door "In the meantime, get ready to launch."

*******

_The Tokyo Ghetto..._

The slums of area eleven weren't considered the safest of places for foreigners. Any Britannian that set foot in there without adequate reason or protection was basically signing their own death warrant.

Hell, even the Military didn't set foot in there without Knightmares anymore, the rebels had already proven that they could use the environment of their home to their advantage.

Of course, this made it all the more appealing to those whose business dealings weren't exactly smiled upon, even by the more corrupt Britannian officials. Illegal immigrants used the ghettos as a base to plot their next moves, and drug dealers, not wanting a paper trail, actually had workshops hidden around the place.

However, not everyone that came to the ghetto had such a hard time navigating it, as was the case with a tall, albino man with goggles and headphones, who was currently leaning against a wall, panting for breath.

It didn't make any sense, he'd snuck into area eleven using his contacts with the Chinese Federation, but the minute he'd stepped into a crowd, the first thing he'd gotten from the mindless masses was a sense of recognition, and his face in all of their minds. It didn't make any sense, after all, he'd never appeared in public before, he detested crowds more than anything else, so how come every time he'd dared to set foot into the streets, his own face was blasted back at him by everyone that got a good look at him?

In the end, he'd tried toning down the volume of his special headphones a little, so that he could 'hear' their thoughts, rather than just see the images that poured out of them. This had been a bad idea, as he'd been assaulted with the words 'rapist', 'child molester' and 'most wanted' until he swore he could hear them even over the recordings of his beloved C.C's voice.

Needless to say, he'd scarpered before the police could close in on him, using his Geass to avoid them, though it was taxing, as they were like bloodhounds, his capture the only thought on their minds.

In the end, he'd made his way to the ghettos, since the few people there tended to stick to their own small communities, and were unlikely to have anything to do with the Britannians.

He'd been wrong, as the few people he'd bumped into had recognized him, thanks to wanted posters that had been put up at the more common meeting grounds. There was even a bounty out for any information on him, enough to entice even the ghetto residents to contact the hated Britannian authorities to call it in.

That had been almost a week ago. Since then, he'd been sticking to the outskirts of the slums, the proverbial 'badlands' where even the most daring, or crooked residents dared not to enter, due to the possibility that the whole place could collapse in on itself at any given moment.

He usually only moved around during the night, when the locals tended to seclude themselves in their homes, those that had the fortune to have them, but this was an emergency.

His batteries for his recorder were running low, and they didn't sell any in the slums. This meant he had to risk going into town, where the mindless, useless dregs of society were simply waiting to overload his head with their inane prattle.

Gritting his teeth, the white haired man gripped his precious recorder, turning up the volume all the way as he set it on repeat, the soothing tone of his beloved contractor washing over him as he pushed off from the wall, sticking to back alleys to avoid the cameras as much as he could, as he made his way towards the nearest store.

*******

_Night, the Docks..._

Lelouch smiled to himself as he watched the tanker Katase had chartered slip off into the waters, heading off towards the Chinese Federation. At first, he'd considered simply blowing the old man up like last time, using the explosion as a distraction to sweep in and assault Cornelia's forces, but had brushed such thoughts aside.

For one thing, he had no reason to capture Cornelia now, since he already knew the details of his mother's 'death'. For another, it had been his involvement in Katase's death, among others, that had enabled Schniezel to turn Todoh against him last time.

No, let the general skulk off to the federation in the night. With an luck, they'd sell him out to the Britannian's for their own personal gain, like they'd tried to with Empress Tianzi.

And if they didn't, well, from what he'd learned of the general from Kirihara, Katase was the type that always repaid a debt, and having a Major General, one with considerable sway over Todoh, on his side could prove advantageous in maintaining the trust of the Holy Swords.

That didn't mean he was going to deviate from the schedule COMPLETELY however. The tanker that Katase had boarded had supposedly boarded had been a dummy, rigged with enough explosives to level a city block. The General had actually slipped off hours before, in a submarine that Zero had acquired through one of Kyoto's contacts.

The general had actually applauded the idea, and had saluted the Black Knights before boarding with the Sakuradite they'd stolen to barter their way into the Federation, leaving Zero and his Black Knights to swoop in on the dumbstruck Britannian forces, wiping them out in a superior show of tactics and strategy.

To say that Cornelia had been displeased was an understatement, the viceroy had actually resorted to cursing over the radio as she ordered her troops into new formations, her attention focused entirely on the Black Knights, enabling Katase, and his precious cargo, to slip off without a thought.

'She really is quite ravishing in the heat of battle.' Lelouch noted, his facemask covering the lower half of his face as he watched Cornelia direct her troops with admirable control and composure, given the situation 'Such a shame that we have to cut things short…'

"Zero!" Tamaki called out over the secure radio, the spiky headed rebel's voice laced with excitement as he relayed the good news "We just received word from Katase's men, they've just entered international waters!"

"Good, all troops! Fall back and regroup!" the revolutionary called out, turning his Burai around, the rest of the Knight's following suit, leaving smokescreens in their wake to ward off pursuers.

"ZERO!" a familiar voice yelled out over the airwaves, the masked revolutionary turning his customized Burai just in time to avoid a sword weilding Gloucester that came crashing down on him from on high.

"Well, Suzaku Kururugi." The revolutionary noted, placing his helmet back on to avoid being recognized by his friend "You've certainly gone up in the world, if Cornelia allowed you to touch one of her precious Gloucesters." He smirked "OR did you grow tired of being the 'white Knight'?"

"I'm not letting you get away!" Suzaku declared, spinning the lance of the purple mech expertly, charging straight in with a standard thrust, only to stagger as something crashed into him from behind "What!?"

"Not this time!" Kallen snarled, the redhead pilot of the Gurren coming at the Gloucester from the flank, having been lurking in the shadows, on Zero's orders, just in case someone tried to ambush the revolutionary "BURST!"

"DAMMIT!" the Honorary Britannian cursed, pulling the ejection lever, wondering when in the hell the Lancelot was going to be outfitted with one, and holding on as the pod launched, sending him clear from the Gloucester, scant seconds before it blew up.

"Too bad, Kururugi." Zero taunted over the airwaves, the revolutionary's voice unbearably smug to the embarrassed warrant officer "So close, maybe next time you'll actually be able to scratch my Burai's paint job."

"That was evil." C.C noted, the immortal witch speaking to her contractor over their private frequency as Suzaku's anguished howl was broadcast over the airwaves "Your ruining his reputation you know."

"I think I'm more than deserving of a little payback after all the crap that went down last time." Lelouch countered, smirking as he and Kallen retreated with the rest of the Knights "Any word on Mao?"

"Jeremiah's men sighted him slipping out of the ghetto some time this morning." C.C revealed, her voice solemn "They used the surveillance videos to monitor him and keep the authorities out of his path, but right now we're trying to lure him towards the trap.

"Leave that up to me." Lelouch assured his contractor, smirking as he settled his Burai into the Transporter, feeling a slight jolt as the Black Knights fled the scene, victorious "After all, when trapping rats, it's best to use the appropriate bait."

*******

_Tokyo Settlement...noon the next day..._

Mao grit his teeth, gripping the side of his head as he lurked in an alleyway behind a gas station. He'd stumbled here by means of the back alleys, but was now more or less lost as a result of not being able to access the public information booths and general inability to ask for directions.

'This is bad…!' he hissed, looking down at his precious controller, noting that the battery level was flashing, almost empty 'At this, rate, I'm going to run out of power in less than a-!'

He trailed off, eyes widening as a sudden image flashed into his head of a familiar face, smiling up at him, green hair splayed around her. 'C.C!' he exclaimed, his head snapping up, looking for the source of the memory, his eyes widening as another joined it, this one of C.C with her lips slight parted, as if waiting for a kiss.

Stumbling out of the alley, the albino Geass user didn't seem to notice the looks on the countless passers-by that walked past, ignoring them, and the occasional flashes of recognition they gave off from seeing him, in favor of bearing down on the source of the images.

'How dare they!' he hissed, his teeth and fists clenching as he shoved his way through the crowds, ignoring their cries of protest 'C.C is mine! Mine alone! No-one else can have-!'

Another image burst into his head, this one of C.C lying on a bed, her bare form quivering with exhaustion, but a satisfied smile on her face as she rested.

Mao actually screamed at this point, driving away the affronted civilians that were demanding an explanation for his actions, his head whipping around like a viper as he tried to track down the perverse little shit that was corrupting his beloved contractor.

A flash of red in the crowd drew his attention to a lanky, almost effeminate teen who was climbing into the back of a taxi. The teen paused, turning his head slightly to look behind him, levering a mocking smirk at the mind reader, his left eye glowing with a crimson Geass crest, before climbing into the vehicle and driving off.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Mao snarled, too incensed by the boy's audacity to see straight as he raced towards the taxi-stop, punching a waiting customer out of the way and clambering into the vehicle, pointing his gun at the outraged driver "FOLLOW THAT CAB!"

*******

_Inside the lead cab..._

'Just as planned…' Lelouch chuckled, smirking to himself as he watched Mao's taxi catch up to his in the rearview mirror. He'd already used his Geass on the driver, so there was no need to worry about his being caught out later.

"Take us to the Clovis Land amusement park." He ordered, smiling at the man as he rested his chin on his shoulder, focusing on some of the memories C.C had 'instructed' him on, determined to drive Mao completely up the wall "Take the scenic route…I'm in no hurry."

"Yes…my lord…"

*******

_Clovis Land, Night..._

At one point, Clovis Land had been a bustling center of revelry and cheer, where the Britannian residents of Area 11 could go to relax with their family. It had been one of the few projects that Clovis had invested in that had been purely unselfish, a 'gift' from him to his 'loyal subjects' as it were, though the image was rather ruined by his naming the place after himself.

Nowadays, while still as popular with the younger citizens, the park was usually abandoned at night, due to fear that the Black Knights might stage an attack, and more recently, word of the deranged serial rapist and child murderer skulking around after hours.

Normally, this was merely the result of Britannian Military propaganda, a means to both discredit the Black Knights, and ensures that no more civilians were caught in the crossfire. However, tonight, both of those fears were coming together, as Lelouch sat atop a stage, a chess set placed before him, a wry smile on his face as he waited for his opponent to arrive.

"Well now," He noted, looking up with a smile as his tall, albino predecessor walked towards him, noting the raggedness of the man's appearance, most notably the way he was gripping his precious recorder "Took you long enough, I'd have thought a mind reader of your caliber could have divined my location a lot faster."

"Hn, you think you're so clever, don't you." Mao snorted, the mentally unstable psychic his lilting, almost childlike voice laced with mockery as he smirked at the Britannian prince "Did you really think you could hide?"

"Hide?" Lelouch repeated, the former emperor quirking an eyebrow as he smirked smirked mockingly down at his one-time predecessor "What makes you think I need to hide? I certainly have no reason to fear you."

"Oh?" Mao asked, his tone slick, as if he knew all the answers, smirking up at the lanky teen with an air of confidence "You think so? I could simply spill all your secrets to your enemies, then sit back and wait for C.C to show herself-!"

"If you think C.C would come to my rescue, then you really don't know her at all." Lelouch cut in, smirking as Mao stiffened, as if struck "Despite being my predecessor, you really are a child, I can see why she up and left you."

"Shut up!" Mao snarled, his mocking tone gone, replaced with that of a petulant child, tinged with a touch of insanity as he pulled out a cheap, outdated handgun, a relic from before the war "What the hell would you know?!"

"Everything." Lelouch informed him, smirking as he allowed several choice memories to rise to the forefront of his mind "C.C has revealed everything to me…" he held a hand up to his face, smirking at the unstable telepath as he did so "I now her inside and out, body and soul…"

"You bastard!" Mao snarled, his hand snapping up as he aimed the outdated revolver at the teen's smug little face, pulling the trigger, only for it to click pointlessly, having expended all of his ammunition earlier, warding off interlopers and bounty hunters.

"Out of ammunition I see." Lelouch noted offhandedly, keeping up the onslaught of mental images to keep his predecessor of balance "I suppose it must be hard, nobody wants to do business with a serial rapist, even crooks have their standards I suppose."

"YOU!" Mao realized, the deranged psychic geass user still aiming the defunct, outdated revolver at his younger replacement with a light of desperate mania in his geass enroached eyes, which were visible even through his glasses "You're the one that set me up!"

"And you figured that all out by yourself?" Lelouch chided, his smile cruel and mocking as he watched the mentally rattled man seethe "Really, it's little wonder that C.C left you behind, she must've gotten tired of having to hold your hand."

"SHUT YOUR FACE YOU BASTARD!" Mao snarled, charging up the steps, tossing his gun aside as he charged the teen, hands aimed at his throat.

A gunshot fired, Mao's right knee exploding as a sniper round took the joint out, sending the shocked psychic tumbling to the floor, his eyes wide as the pain slowly registered.

"So predictable…" Lelouch muttered, his voice almost bored as he watched the man squirm on the ground before him "You were so focused on me, you never even thought to consider that I was leading you here."

Mao flinched, his eyes wide as he gazed around, the lewd, enticing images of C.C vanishing from Lelouch's mind, replaced with images of snipers, littered around the park.

"You probably considered yourself the hunter, tracking me down through the city," the deposed prince muttered, his features turning dispassionate as he gazed down at the man, his Geass laden left eye glowing an ominous crimson "The problem, Mao, is that when it comes to predators, there is nothing more dangerous than man." He snorted "Honestly, how a child like you ever caught the attention of C.C is lost to me."

"You shut your mouth!" Mao snarled, reaching behind his back, only to howl as anther sniper round took his hand off at the wrist, sending him into another peel of agony as he clutched the bloody stump to his chest, his glasses and headset coming off in his convulsions.

"You cling to C.C like a petulant child after a toy," Lelouch muttered, disgust marring his features as he gazed down at the thrashing man "You used your Geass to track down anyone associated with her, using their fears and secrets against them, without any thought to the consequences…" his eyes narrowed as he recalled just how far the man had gone, in a previous life "You little brat…you think a worthless pawn that doesn't even know her true name could claim ANYTHING of C.C?"

"Her name?" Mao gasped, Lelouch's stricken, bleeding predecessor looking up at the dark haired teen in pained disbelief, clutching his ruined hand to his chest like a doll "That can't be…she never told anyone! Never Ever!"

"You want to know why?" Lelouch asked, his smirk coming back with full force as he allowed the images of his and C.C's 'trysts' rise to the forefront of his thoughts "It's because C.C is mine, she belongs to me in every possible way…"

"LELOUCH!" the psychic snarled, trying to claw his way up the steps towards the teen, only to freeze as several other gunshots sounded in rapid succession, punching through his back and shoulders, sending him crashing to the floor, gasping in agony.

"Look at you…" Lelouch muttered, his lip curling in disgust as he watched the elder geass user writhe before him, his tone laced with absolute disdain "To think something as pathetic as you could have caused me so much trouble…"

Mao blinked, looking up in confusion as memories flowed into him from his tormentor. Memories of a girl with orange hair…how Mao had manipulated her, forcing Lelouch to erase her memories, followed by Mao's kidnapping of Lelouch's younger sister.

'But…I didn't do any of those things!' the mind-reader exclaimed, his throat working to contradict such memories, to deny his involvement in those scenes, but no sound coming out but pained gasps 'That wasn't me! That wasn't me!'

"Normally, I'd try things a little differently…" Lelouch muttered coldly, looking into the desperate telepath's eyes as he reached up for him "After all, if I could be given a second chance, why not you? And your Geass would make a most useful weapon…"

He scowled suddenly, and Mao felt a sense of anger and hatred wash over him that left him feeling as weak and defenseless as he'd been when his Geass had first been permanently activated, redering him at the mercy of every unprotected thougt in the world.

"But the fact of the matter is that, even if you haven't committed them this time…the weight of your sins against those precious to me cannot be forgotten."

Mao went to scream, out of desperation and fear, a childish scream that composed solely of two words, two letters even, only to be silenced as the final sniper round punched through the back of his head, cutting off the stream of terrifying hatred, sending the psychic into dark, blissful silence.

*******

_Up on the stage..._

Lelouch frowned down at the still form of his predecessor, before pulling out a phone and hitting the autodial. "Excellent marksmanship, Jeremiah." He congratulated, turning his head slightly in the direction of the sniper's position "Now, prepare for clean-up."

"I''m sorry if I jumped the gun highness" The former margrave offered, his tone reverent, but laced with tension, as if he'd been sweating buckets "but my finger was tensed on the trigger the entire time you were sitting out there."

"My apologies for worrying you." Lelouch offered sincerely, smiling in the sniper's direction "However, rest assured that I had every confidence in your abilities, Jermiah. You're one of the few people I can trust with my life, I would noit hesitate to place it in your care."

"I am unworthy of such praise..." Jeremiah offered, though Lelouch could tell that the man was literally bursting at the seams with pride, before breaking off the connection as Lelouch turned his gaze back to Mao's corpse.

'You might not be able to hear me…Mao.' He muttered, almost softly 'But in death, you shall provide yet another means for me to bring about peace.'

* * *

And so that takes care of Mao

For those of you wondering why he couldn't dig deeper into Lelouch's mind, he COULD, but the fact Lelouch was focussing on his...bedroom activities with C.C, literally drove whatever sanity the poor schlub had left out the window.

This'll probably be the last post for a while, but rest assured, I intent to finish this work.

Also, is it me, or should send out a flag to let authors know when they clear a certain amount of Reviews? Like 'FicA has received 1000 reviews, congratulations, here are 10 review points', or something like that?

And yes, Mao's death will factor heavily into things in future chapters.


	17. Chapter 17

Nightmare Charles: The Dead Rise!

Kyugan: *Reanimates* Buh? Whoo! all hail manga geass! seriously, some interesting quirks there.

In any case, as promised, here's the next chapter, and Mao's death begins the first step towards change.

* * *

Chapter sixteen: Old Guard.

Cornelia li Britannia, normally not one for shows of emotion, outside battle fury and pride, quirked an eyebrow as she read the report from the police that had turned up on her desk that morning. Apparently that serial rapist that had been lurking around the ghetto's had struck last night, taking a young girl captive in the abandoned Clovis Land amusement park.

Fortunately Jeremiah Gottwald, who had received an anonymous tip-off earlier that evening, had been patrolling the area with a few select sharpshooters. The former margrave had finished the man off himself before the freak could have his way with the child, who was recovering nicely at the hospital.

"It seems we were wrong to question the loyalty of Lord Jeremiah." Guilford noted off from the side, the bespectacled Knight standing alongside Dalton as they stood before their lady's desk "So far he has proven a most loyal and dedicated soldier, despite the accusations leveled against him."

"He still refuses to speak up about the meaning behind the so called 'Orange' incident." Dalton pointed out, the bear of a man's features grim "However, considering what Zero implied, and how it might tarnish the name of prince Clovis…"

"Then it means that he's simply protecting a member of the royal family." Cornelia muttered, her purple brows creasing as she recalled her conversations with Zero 'Perhaps there's more to what he was saying than just speculation…'

"By the way, Milady." Guilford spoke up, the spearhead of the Empire clearing his throat as he held out a personell list "As you requested, I've assembled all the possible candidates for Lady Euphemia's Knights, as you requested."

"Well done." Cornelia offered, the Witch of Britannia nodding her head gratefully towards her Knight as she accepted the list, quirking an eyebrow as she ran over the names "Not very outstanding, are they?

"With the exception of the now defunct purist faction, which Lord Jeremiah was a key member of at the time, these are the most skilled Knightmare pilots available." Dalton pointed out, though even he looked grim at the prospects "With your pardon Milady, I cannot condone having these people assigned…perhaps I should…"

"You sons are needed elsewhere, Dalton." Cornelia cut in, referring to the Glaston Knights, Guilford's private troops composed from Dalton's adopted sons, though it was with a gentle tone, a look of understanding on her face "However, the offer is appreciated, I assure you."

Sighing, the purple haired Viceroy climbed to her feet, her Knights falling into step as she marched out of her office, like a panther on the prowl.

'It's too bad Zero's an enemy.' She noted offhandedly, a small smirk coming to her face as she shook her head slightly to clear it 'If I had a man like that at Euphemia's side, I could rest easy."

******_*_

_Ashford Academy.._.

"You okay Lelouch?" Rivalz asked, the blue haired secretary looking up at the Vice-president in concern as the eye patch sporting teen sneezed, almost knockig him off his seat as he posed atop the plinth before them.

"Yeah, probably just some dust." Lelouch assured his friend, the former Demon Emperor and elder Lamperouge resuming his 'thinker's' pose after carefully wiping his nose with a tissue and stuffing it out of sight "Is this right?"

"Your sightline was a little lower than that." Rivalz corrected, the blue haired teen shaking his head at Lelouch's attempt at correction "No, a little higher…" he sighed "Aw man, now your expression is completely different!"

"My apologies." Lelouch offered, the elder Lamperouge chuckling slightly as he fought off the blue haired secretary's attempts to manipulate his features "Perhaps this wasn't the best pose to choose."

"Nah, it's perfect for you!" Rivalz chuckled, the teen stepping back, defeated but unrepentant as the rest of the class, mostly females, nodded in agreement "You always look so composed when you're thinking."

"Do I really?" Lelouch asked, the elder Lamperouge turning his gaze purple towards Shirley, Nina and Kallen, the three girls flushing slightly under his scrutiny as he smiled at them "Do you really think so?"

"D-don't ask me!" Kallen stammered, the faux-invalid averting her eyes, even as Nina hid her face behind her sketch pad, and Shirley stammered incoherently "I mean yeah you look solemn and all that…kinda regal I suppose…"

"Maybe there's blue blood in your veins?" Rivalz quipped, earning a round of chuckles from the others "I mean yeah it'd be impossible, everyone knows the royals are all physically exceptional compared to us."

"Are you implying something, Rivalz?" Lelouch asked, his tone deceptively pleasant, though the girls had to suppress a shiver at the look in his eyes and arched brow "Are you questioning my ability to perform?"

'This is SO much more fun than pretending to be clueless ever was.' the former emperor chuckled, watching as Rivalz devolved into a sputtering, confused wreck, the females in the class flushing scarlet from the insinuation 'why'd I never try this earlier?'

"Well now!" Milly called out, the blonde Ashford Heir walking into the class with a confident smile "Here I was wondering why you all weren't in math class, so Lelouch finally decided to allow himself to be sketched?"

"Sorry we didn't inform you, madam president." Lelouch offered with a small smile, inclining his head towards his childhood friend even as Rivalz tried to stammer excuses "but the schedule changed on account of Prince Clovis' decree."

"That's true…" Milly noted with a nod of understanding, smiling coyly at her childhood friend and vice-president "Though that pose really doesn't suit you…maybe you should try Michelangelo's David?"

"A bit daring, don't you think?" Lelouch pointed out, even as the girls in the class released excited giggles at the prospect "I really don't think I'd have the confidence to do that…" he smiled coyly at the president "maybe if you agreed to pose with me, President?"

THUMP!

"Oh my god! Rivalz!" Someone exclaimed, Lelouch and Milly looking down in shock as the Secretary, along with several other members of the class, male and female, passed out with dopey expressions on their faces.

Kallen, whose face had turned as red as her hair, averted her eyes from Lelouch's gaze, as she tried to rouse a red-faced Shirley, while Nina lay beside her, glasses fogged over with steam.

*******

_Viceroy's Command Centre..._

"You're in a good mood…" Jeremiah noted, the former Margrave and secret Knight of Zero smiling as Villetta Nu litterally hovered into their shared workspace, the woman's exotic skin practically glowing.

"Oh, I just had one hell of a night." The blue haired Knightmare pilot assured her former superior and long time friend "Can't remember most of the previous evening," she admitted with a look of concern, though her smile soon replaced it as she stretched with catlike grace "but I woke up feeling absolutely great!"

"Well that's good." Jeremiah noted with a smile, the margrave feeling his sense of guilt decrease by the second with each good word, as it seemed his master's plan had gone off without a hitch. 'Good man, Kaname.' He muttered, smirking at the memory of the former second in command as he turned to his own glowing second "He must've been something else." He noted, his tone laced with insinuation as he smiled at her.

"I'm not telling." Villetta countered, her return smile coy and decidedly satisfied as she resumed her seat. She and Jeremiah had been together for years, in a platonic sense, and had taken to looking out for one another in that time. That said, their relationship was strictly professional, friends at best, as they knew each other far too well to be anything more.

'I wonder how Ohgi feels about her snoring…' the former margrave thought evilly, recalling countless sleepless nights on account of the woman's impressive nasal orchestra 'Or her habit of walking around without clothes until she gets her coffee?"

He, Kewel and the rest of their platoon had learned early on to avoid the mess hall when Villetta was awake before them, and to have coffee and a robe on hand for when the woman DID wake up. Being punted in the crown jewels for 'peeking' was NOT something they wished to experience.

'Poor Corporal Simmons…' the former margrave sighed, recalling their superior officer from boot camp with a piteous sigh as he shuffled his papers on the desk 'May he find peace, wherever he is.'

"Lord Jeremiah, don't you have guard duty with Princess Euphemia's detail today?" a passing officer asked, the former Margrave blinking, having almost forgotten the request from Sir Dalton earlier that day.

'They might simply be making amends…' he muttered, recalling how Guilford had berated him for his supposed betrayal as he got to his feet 'Still, this is a good chance to put my Lord's plan into action…'

*******

_Clovis Memorial Art museum..._

"We will open Art Week with the dedication of the Clovis Memorial Museum of Art." The curator noted, smiling confidently as he led Euphemia and her entourage down the halls "You, Princess Euphemia, will select the first place winner from amongst these submitted works."

Euphemia sighed, understanding now why her sister had delegated this duty to her. The elder sibling had no patience for such things, and doubtlessly assumed that Euphemia couldn't get into any trouble here.

"I must admit these are some exquisite paintings." Jeremiah Gottwald noted, startling the princess, who'd quite forgotten the newest addition to her entourage, the former Margrave's charismatic features set in an approving smile, in comparison to Dalton's grim, professional scowl "Why they almost remind me of the Aries Villa."

"Empress Marianne's Villa?" Euphemia questioned, even as Dalton blinked, the scarred Knight of her elder sibling looking at the former Margrave in confusion "You mean you've been there, Lord Jeremiah?"

"I had the honor of serving as part of Lady Marianne's PERSONAL guard for my first assignment." The Margrave admitted, Dalton's eyes widening at the revelation "I can still recall the many times she would play with her children in the garden…"

Euphemia smiled, her own memories of the gentle, loving empress rising to the fore as she gazed up at the former Margrave. Cornelia always grew so quiet whenever the subject of Lady Marianne was broached, she'd had an almost fanatical respect for the woman.

"I was…unaware you held such a post…" Dalton noted, the scarred veteran looking mildly intrigued, as if he were slowly piecing the pieces of a puzzle together "I do not believe Princess Cornelia mentioned you."

"Oh I wasn't one of her direct subordinates." Jeremiah assured the man with a casual nod, his features understanding of the man's suspicions "I merely had the good fortune of being assigned to the sector of the palace where Lady Marianne and her children frequented." He sighed ruefully "To this day, I consider it my greatest failure in not being present when the assassination took place."

Dalton nodded, his stance relaxing slightly as he and the margrave shared a look of understanding. The scarred veteran knew how heavily Marianne's death weighed on his lady's conscience.

"Please don't blame yourself, Lord Jeremiah." Euphemia insisted, the princess surprising both Dalton AND the former margrave as she reached out to take the latter's hand in both her own, her gaze gentle and understanding "I too wish there were something more I could have done…perhaps then my siblings might not have been…"

"I am undeserving of your concerns, highness" Jeremiah assured the younger li Britannia, his tone reverent and grateful "Though it heartens me to hear that there are others that miss Lady Marianne's children, why the very reason I transferred to Area Eleven was because the late Prince Clovis believed them to be alive."

"Clovis?" Euphemia repeated, the pink haired li Britannia looking up at the former Margrave in surprise, even as Dalton's eyes widened at this latest unexpected revelation "My brother…did he truly believe…?"

"Not only did he believe it, but I'm certain he had some proof to the matter." Jeremiah insisted, causing Euphemia's eyes to widen "I honestly believe that he'd uncovered traces of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally's whereabouts."

"A moot point now…" the curator muttered, his tone dismissive, only to backpedal fearfully from the sheer animosity of Andreas Dalton's glare "I meant no disrespect sir, it's merely that the dead tell no tales…"

"No…they don't." Dalton muttered, turning to level a careful look at Jeremiah 'The living on the other hand…'

*******

_Black Knight's Base..._

"Ohgi?" a member of the Knights called out, blinking as he found the unoficial second in command of their group sitting with his back against the wall of their trailer, a dazed expression on his face "Ohgi?"

"H-huh? What?" Ohgi stammered, the dopy grin vanishing as he gaped up at his female colleague in confusion, the memory of last night's…festivities…slipping to the back of his mind as he tried to make himself presentable. Britannian women...who knew? "What was it?"

"We have visitors…" the woman replied, a knowing expression on her face as she turned to gesture at four figures in the garb of the Japanese military, Ohgi's eyes widening as he leapt to his feet at the sight of the Four Holy Swords "They also have an introduction from Kyoto."

"I'll get straight to the point." Senba greeted, the elder member of the swords rising from his bow with a stern expression "We've come to you today to ask you for your help." His gaze grew solemn at Ohgi's confusion "Lt. Colonel Todoh has been apprehended." He admitted, causing the 2nd in command's eyes to widen "He sacrificed himself so that we could escape."

*******

_Lelouch's room, that evening..._

"I see." Lelouch muttered, the elder lamperouge smirking wryly as he sat up in bed, he and C.C having retired their early to avoid people questioning his disappearances "We'll help them." He assured Ohgi "The Black Knights fight for the cause of justice, to allow Todoh Kyoshiro to die such an ignoble death would be an insult to the Japanese people."

'That should endear a few of the Swords at least.' The teen muttered, even as he stroked C.C's hair, the witch hugging his side gently, the former emperor giving orders for Ohgi to assemble the Knights at the right coordinates.

"Mmm…must you talk business in bed?" C.C asked, the green haired immortal witch looking up at the teen reproachfully, having just gotten back from communing with the Chinese federation "Getting an audience with Xingke wasn't easy…let alone confirming the Eunuch's plans for the Empress."

"I need to ensure that things proceed according to MY schedule this time around." Lelouch replied grimly "If we can get Xingke on our side, then perhaps we can prevent Schniezel from gaining any of the Federation's territory."

"Not an inconsiderable task to be sure." C.C admitted, sighing as she realized she wasn't about to get any rest for a bit, not so long as Lelouch had that 'plotting' look in his eyes "So what will you do?"

"First things first." Lelouch muttered, sinking down under the sheets with her "First we spring Todoh from his cage…" he pulled her close "then we begin raising the bars on our enemies."

*******

_Britannian Military Facility..._

"I won't be able to attend the execution." Cornelia informed Guilford, the purple haired Viceroy watching as the Sutherlands were deployed with a stern expression "Have Dalton oversee the procedures."

"Viceroy," Euphemia called out, the elder sister smiling as the sub-viceroy drew close, brushing aside the former's questions concerning the unveiling "More importantly, the NAC reported signs of unrest in Ishikawa…"

"Probably backed by the EU or Chinese Federation." Cornelia sighed, looking honestly annoyed at these little insurgents "Still, it's an opportunity to bring Hokuriku under our control." She missed the look of distress on Euphemia's face as she accepted a document from Guilford "I'll leave Dalton here while I'm gone, if anything happens consult him." She nodded at the scarred Knight, who had pulled up behind Euphemia as Cornelia held out the list of potential pilots to her sister "Also, about the matter we discussed earlier…"

"On that, milady…" Dalton interrupted, his features grim as he looked his Princess in the eyes "I have uncovered some…interesting information…"

*******

Cornelia's office, several minutes later...

Jeremiah Gottwald shifted as he sat across from a stern faced Cornelia li Britannia, feeling a little intimidated by the Viceroy's piercing stare as she looked him over, like a critic trying to find the flaw in a recently discovered masterpiece.

Dalton and Euphemia had returned to the gallery, as there was a press conference taking place that afternoon and the princess was to make an appearance, which left Cornelia and Guilford to interview the enigma before them.

"My Knight, Dalton, tells me that you served as a guard at the Aries Villa." Cornelia noted, looking the former margrave over carefully, with a professional suspicion, pushing a set of documents forwards "I kept the names of all those associated with the incident, from the servants to those amongst the guard." She nodded at Jeremiah, who noted his own, much younger image, saluting back at him "It would seem your claim holds merit."

"I merely mentioned it at Princess Euphemia's enquiry." Jeremiah assured the purple haired Viceroy, his features respectful and calm "I meant no claim, though I was, and am still proud, to admit to such a position."

"I see…" Cornelia muttered, her eyes never leaving the disgraced Knightmare pilot, as if trying to peer into his innermost thoughts "Tell me, Lord Jeremiah…what is your opinion of what happened at the villa?"

"It was obviously an assassination attempt." Jeremiah insisted, his eyes narrowing at the mere thought of V.V's manipulations "Something always struck me as strange however." He admitted, continuing at Cornelia's gesture "Lady Marianne was always highly protective of her children, your highness might recall the incident with the Ganymede and Princess Carline's lady mother."

Cornelia actually smirked at that, recalling how Carline's mother had been hassling Lelouch and Nunnally, the latter of whom had been but a child at the time, simply unable to accept that a commoner's offspring would be on the same par as her own. Her attitude soon changed when Lady Marianne, smiling all the while, smashed the prototype Ganymede's fist down on the walk next to her, sending her racing back into the palace in terror. Cornelia had nearly bust a gut laughing at the sight, and had ordered all those who witnessed it to silence. She needn't have bothered, as they'd enjoyed the sight of the woman's humiliation all too much, Carline's mother was NOT one of the more popular consorts.

"Knowing this," Jeremiah continued, catching the Viceroy's attention "Why would she even CONSIDER dismissing her guard?"

Cornelia nodded grimly, having considered this question herself, as she'd been CAPTAIN of said guard at the time of the deed. Lady Marianne had been a military woman, despite her commoner birth, to make such a strategic error on the eve of an assassination attempt spoke of conspiracy. "And so you transferred here, upon learning of my little brother's investigation into the whereabouts of her children?" she asked, flinching internally at the loss of Lelouch and Nunnally.

"Not initially no." Jeremiah admitted with a shake of his head "At first, I merely wished to escape the shame of my failure to protect Lady Marianne." His eyes turned downcast "Area Eleven seemed far enough away, I signed up to help quell the insurgents, and my platoon remained stationed here afterwards." He looked up "Later, when Prince Clovis transferred here, I learned of his search when I attended one of his parties." He flinched, feigning discomfort "His majesty was…rather loose lipped when in his drink."

'That he was.' Cornelia noted with a scowl, recalling the blackmail Nonnette had gotten out of her hapless brother with a few, make that several, glasses of wine "And what is your opinion on his…search?" she continued.

"At first I was skeptical." Jeremiah muttered, his features grim, though Cornelia caught a hint of determination there "How could I not be, after everything that happened. Hever, I'm now certain that his majesty was onto something."

"You believe that Lelouch and Nunnally might be somewhere in Area Eleven?" Cornelia wondered, some sense of hope rising in her breast at the prospect, as she'd never forgiven herself for letting Marianne's children slip through her fingers into danger.

"Not only that." Jeremiah admitted, his features grim, "But I believe that Zero knows something of their whereabouts."

Cornelia's eyes snapped wide, looking the former margrave in the eyes, noting the absolute certainty there, before frowning "Have you discussed this with anyone else?"

"No-one." Jeremiah assured her, the disgraced margrave recognizing the signs Lelouch had coached him to look for that she'd bought it "I didn't feel it necessary to let anyone else know. After all, whoever went after Lady Marianne…"

"Would most likely go after Lelouch and Nunnally too…" Cornelia muttered, her eyes narrowing as she looked into the man's features "That's what this 'orange' thing's all about, isn't it?" she asked, Jeremiah's features solemn "And Zero Knows where they are?"

"It is highly possible that he knows exactly where they are, or at least has some clue as to the matter." Jeremiah replied, playing his role perfectly watching as Cornelia and Guilford pieced the rigged picture he'd presented them with together.

He and Lelouch had debated for hours on how to get him into Cornelia's inner circle, and had finally decided on appealing to the woman's love and respect for Marianne. In this Jeremiah found the PERFECT role, after all, not everything he said was untrue.

While Clovis was undoubtedly a loose lipped man while drunk, the prince had come here to find Lelouch and Nunnally's bodies, as while he'd no doubt they WERE here, neither did he doubt they were dead, after all, how could two children survive in a backwards country, torn apart by war?

'Surprisingly well, actually.' Jeremiah noted with a hint of pride, as he recalled the tales Lelouch had told him of their survival after the death of Prime Minister Kururugi 'I must remember to pay my respects.' He noted offhandedly 'Enemy or not, he cared for my prince and princess, and for that, he has my gratitude.'

He blinked as Cornelia looked up at him, her eyes hard, as if she were trying to bore into his very soul "Can I trust you, Lord Jeremiah?" she asked, her eyes laced with professional suspicion, worthy of any military official "On your life, do you swear your loyalty?"

"My Loyalty is, and has always has been, to the crown and Lady Marianne." Jeremiah assured her, his features firm "If I can but serve her memory in any way by finding her children, I would give my life to do so."

Cornelia eyed him carefully, as if pondering something, before nodding to Guilford, who walked over and dismissed the secretary outside the office, closing the door behind him. "This does not leave these rooms…" she muttered, pulling out a set of documents Jeremiah had 'left' in Clovis' private compartments, pertaining to the man's experiments on Geass.

* * *

And the conspiracy theories begin!

Jeremiah's ingratiating himself with Cornelia and Euphie will have a much deeper meaning down the line, and some of you can probably anticipate where I'm going with this.

a lot of focus on Orange this chapter, not much action, though if you're wondering why Ohgi seems to be phazing in and out of reality, here's a hint:

SIX STRAIGHT HOURS.

Of course, you probably clicked from the get go ;3

Round and round and Round they go, where it stops, R.R knows, so send him reviews to get him to tell us!

ALL HAIRU FANFICTIOOOOOOOOOON!


	18. Chapter 18

Been a while since this one saw the light of...well not DAY since i'm indoors but whatever.

Still recovering here, so apologies if not up to standard.

* * *

Chapter seventeen: Knight.

While Jeremiah was being 'interviewed' by her elder sister, Euphemia was undertaking a very different form of interview, one with a much less intimidated audience. The only condolence was Dalton stepping in from time to time when he felt the princess was being swamped, the problem was this was for almost every other question posed.

"Sub-viceroy," A reporter called out, standing up from his seat and extending his microphone pen, the type used by all nosy parkers, towards the princess "is it true that no Eleven companies were involved in the construction of this museum?"

"We're currently looking into that matter right now." Euphemia cut in, earning a look of approval from Dalton, who'd been about to say the same thing "However, I fail to see how that will adversely affect such a museum."

'After all…' she noted, watching as the reporter sat down with a confused expression, even as another reporter stood up 'It doesn't really change the fact that the building was completed ahead of schedule.'

"Kerryman from Interstate." yet another journalist called out, the one looking mildly intrigued as he raised his hand "Your Highness, there have been rumors lately that you are close to choosing your Knight."

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the curator of the Museum cut in, before Euphemia even had a chance to question where said rumors originated "We ask that you please limit your questions to the museum only."

"I see no harm in answering such a simple question." Euphemia countered, the curator stiffening at the faint, but unmistakable steel that the woman's elder sibling wielded with such flair in her tone, even as she turned her gaze back to the crowd "As to the question, I have been considering my Knight, though I've yet to come to a decision."

* * *

_Black Knights HQ..._

"Are you sure it's a good idea to throw in with the black Knights?" Asahina asked, the bespectacled member of the Four Holy swords looking on as the rebels tended to the Gurren mkII, which was undergoing maintenance.

"Can you think of any other way to rescue Colonel Todoh?" Chiba asked, the female member of the four sword's arms crossed beneath her breasts as the Holy Swords watched the maintenance with grim features.

"There's also what Kyoto said." Senba muttered, the elderly veteran's features solemn as he nodded his head in approval of Lord Kirihara Taizo's message "That they'd lend us the new models."

"Still, their principles seem to be somewhat off." Asahina noted, the blue haired, bespectacled Knightmare pilot looking up at Chiba for emphasis, only for the woman to shrug, her features a mask of dismissal.

"We can worry about the EXACT details of our partnership AFTER we've rescued the Colonel." Senba assured the youngest member of the swords, offering a small smile, which Asahin returned with a nod.

"I understand." the bespectacled sword assured the veteran, a distant smile appearing on his face as his thoughts turned to their captive leader "No matter where Colonel Todoh may be it's the place I belong."

* * *

_With the Gurren..._

"AGH!" Tamaki yelled, the redhead looking on in exasperation as the Gurren's maintenance proceeded at a snail's pace "Look, just stuff 'em in and close the lid for crying out loud! It's almost time to move out!"

"Take your time and treat it with the utmost care!" a voice countered, the Knights and Swords looking round to espy a tall, blonde haired woman of Indian descent standing nearby, dressed in a lab coat, with two similarly dressed men at her sides "It was far more fragile than any of YOU when I gave birth to it."

"Huh?" Tamaki gaped, the redhead trying to wrap his brain around such a concept as a woman, a rather shapely one at that, giving birth to a machine, only to shake his head and glare at the woman in question "Who the hell are you?"

"Rakshata Chawla." Zero's modulated voice called out, the masked revolutionary appearing, as he always did, out of thin air, scaring the bejeezus out of everybody "The woman that designed the Gurren mkII, it's Radiant Wave System, and revolutionized the field of prosthetics." He came to a halt before the woman "Ostensibly, you could call her the Gurren's mother."

"So you're Zero?" The indian scientist noted, quirking an intrigued eyebrow at the cloaked man's appearance, literally and physically "It's a pleasure," she greeted, "I've heard a lot of things about you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Zero assured the woman, accepting her hand, surprising everyone as he bowed slightly, pressing her knuckles to his helmet in a semblance of a kiss "Any woman that can drive the Earl of Pudding to his wits end is a woman I've looked forward to meeting."

"Someone's done their homework." Rakshata smiled, flattered at the man's greeting and bemused at his referral to her old rival by his nickname, even as she held up a set of keys on a chain "As a reward…a little souvenir from Kyoto."

"The new Knightmare suits." Zero noted, earning yet another approving look from Rakshata for his apparent knowledge of her activities, even as the Black Knights blinked at one another in confusion "How very thoughtful of you."

"Um…excuse me…" Kallen called out, the collective male populace, with the exclusion of Senba, turning to gape at the sight of the redhead in her new uniform "Is this really going to improve the interfacing system?"

"Of course not." Rakshata chuckled, the buxom scientist tapping her pipe in the direction of the confused redhead, her features lined with amusement "It's going to improve your life expectancy."

"And it certainly looks good on you." Zero noted, his tone lined with obvious approval, causing Kallen's face to light up like a christmas decorsation "Though I'm surprised you knew her measurements, Rakshata."

"One size fits all." The Indian scientist countered, smiling coyly at the masked rebel, even as Kallen's face lit up in embarrassment once again. It seemed things were going to be rather interesting with the Black Knights after all.

* * *

_Britannian maximum security prison..._

While all this was going on, Todoh Kyoshiro was kneeling in his cell, his features closed off in meditation as he awaited his date with the executioner's axe. The Colonel did not fear death, no true warrior did, and he would not give the enemy the pleasure of seeing him fret or worry, would not divulge any information. He would face his fate like a true samurai, and carry his people's secrets and honor to his grave.

"I just heard they changed your executioner." The guard assigned to patrol the halls outside his cell sneered, smirking in at the captured 'miracle worker' "It's going to be Warrant Officer Kururugi Suzaku…you oughta be glad it's someone you know."

Todoh's eyes opened, his fierce stare boring into the Britannian soldiers eyes with the ferocity of a wolf on the prowl, making the man back off in fear despite the reinforced, bullet proof glass that separated them.

'Suzaku…' the Colonel muttered, recalling the last time he'd seen the only son of his good friend, Kururugi Genbu, and how the Six Houses had covered up the man's death, and Suzaku's involvement in it 'Truly, the world works in mysterious ways…'

He blinked, brow quirking at a distant, muted explosion, even as his guard ran off as the alarm sounded throughout the facility, the Colonel's hackles rising as his highly tuned battle senses detected the sound of gunfire in the distance.

* * *

_In the main courtyard..._

"Colonel…" Chiba muttered, the female sword leading the charge, as the Four Holy Swords piloted the new, top of the line Gekkas against the Britannian Sutherlands that had come out to halt them in their advance "We're coming to save you!"

"These Gekkas are awesome!" Asahina praised, the bespectacled sword weaving between the Sutherlands like greased lightning, his Knightmare's sword cleaving them in two before they could even mount a counter attack "Way superior to Burai's!"

"You got that right!" Urabe grinned, the spiky haired sword tearing through the ranks of Sutherlands like a shark through a nudist beach, a silent, but nonetheless impressed Senba mopping up his own share of enemies with equal ferocity.

While it rankled the holy swords that they were playing the opening move, as it basically meant they were drawing the enemy's fire away from the rest of the Black Knights, they understood that it was a necessary expense in order to liberate their leader.

Unbeknownst to the swords however, the Britannians weren't about to let 'Miracle Worker' Todoh just slip away.

* * *

_In the prison block..._

"My superiors have ordered that you be 'unofficially' executed before you're busted out of here." A guard muttered, this one slightly more competent than the one from before, though Todoh really could have cared less as the bullet proof glass was raised, the Colonel staring down the barrel of the man's gun without fear "Any last words?"

"None." Todoh admitted, the captured Colonel's eyes calm, lined with resolve and acceptance of his fate as he matched gazes with his executioner "It's a life I gave up once before…It's worth nothing."

"In that case I'll claim your life for myself!" a voice called out, Todoh's eyes widening in surprise as the wall behind the guard collapsed, crushing the screaming soldier beneath a pile of debris, the Colonel's eyes narrowing as a familiar red Knightmare came into view.

'The Gurren mkII…' he muttered, his eyes travelling past the first, Japanese Knightmare to land on a custom Burai with samurai helm, his eyes narrowing further at the sight of the now familiar figure perched atop it "Zero."

"Todoh Kyoshiro." The masked vigilante greeted, his modulated tone laced with a type of reverence "The hero of Japan that seven years ago brought the mighty Britannian forces to their knees in defeat."

"You mean Itsukushima?" The Colonel pointed out, his eyes hardening as he glared up at the masked man's cloaked form, already guessing what he was after "You want me to perform a miracle for YOU as well?"

"That was no miracle." Zero countered, the revolutionary waving his hand to the side in dismissal "It ended in victory because it was based on EXCELLENT intelligence work, and that's why I cannot allow you to be killed."

"I pledged my Loyalty to General Katase." Todoh recountered, his eyes narrowing solemnly as he looked up at the man "Though I thank you for aiding him in his escape, my loyalty remains with him."

"I would not ask you to break your warriors code." Zero countered, surprising the General as he disembarked from his Burai and advanced on him "I would merely ask that, in Katase's place, you aid me in resisting the Britannian forces in Japan."

"So you're not asking for servitude, but an allegiance." Todoh mused, though his features remained as unreadable as ever "Sounds agreeable, Kirihara-dono spoke most highly of you in our last meeting."

"I am certain he left out the reasons for his approval, however." Zero noted, a hint of amusement in his tone as he came to a halt before the kneeling Colonel "Understandable, I had asked that he kept silent until our meeting."

Todoh quirked an eyebrow, wondering who this man was that he could make such a request from the head of the six families, only to blink as Zero reached up, his helmet sliding back with a hiss revealing the man's face for the stunned General to see.

"It's…you…?" Todoh gaped, recalling the scowling face of a dark haired, Britannian prince as he glared up at the colonel, who'd stepped in to keep Suzaku from bullying the boy simply because he was Britannian.

"I never got to thank you for the care you gave me as a guest at Kururugi Genbu's estate." Lelouch offered, his smile kind, his left eye covered with his eye patch to prevent his Geass from affecting the general unintentionally, as he knelt down before the Colonel, in a Knight's bow "It is good to see you again…Todoh-sensei."

* * *

_With Todoh..._

Todoh blinked, gazing down at the teen before him in stunned wonderment, only to flinch, a spark of light flashing behind his eyes, as the images of the scowling teen were replaced with that of the man before him, dressed in white, a self-mocking smile on his face as a man dressed in an outfit identical to the one he wore stabbed him in the chest.

"Le…louch?" the Colonel stammered, blinking dazedly, as if slowly waking from a dream, staring down at the kneeling young man before him, his features lined with confusion "But…you're…this is…?"

"I see you're awake…" Lelouch noted, the teen recognizing the look of shock in the Colonel's eyes for what it was, glad that Kallen couldn't see his face "Unexpected, but an added bonus nonetheless."

"Bonus?" Todoh repeated, the Colonel's features slowly hardening as he glared at the teen, his anger surging to the fore alongside his dormant memories "you little…if you think you can use your Geass on me-!"

"I have no intention, nor have I had ANY intention, of using my Geass on you, Todoh-sensei." The teen countered, gesturing to his eye patch "As you can see, I have taken precautions to prevent it from happening."

"Why are you here?" Todoh demanded, glaring at the teen, a little comforted by the fact he wasn't about to become a mindless little drone, but still bursting with questions "You died, I SAW you die…I was THERE when they buried you."

"No doubt to ensure that I didn't rise from the grave." Lelouch chuckled, the former Demon Emperor smiling self-mockingly at the older man "Yes I did die, Suzaku is rather good at killing off those precious to him isn't he?"

"So it WAS Suzaku." Todoh muttered, the Colonel's features going distant, almost saddened, as the memory of Zero's Requiem, and the resulting aftermath of peace, returned "You planned all that, didn't you?"

"But of course." Lelouch admitted, the teen looking into the General's eyes with his visible one, "It was a necessary sacrifice: give the world an enemy to hate, and they would strive to work together to oppose it."

"I never took you to be the type to set yourself up as a martyr." Todoh muttered, though all the hostility in his tone had gone out, as he eyed the teen before him analytically "So what is this? Why are we here?"

"Fate, it seems, has given me a chance to do things over." Lelouch admitted, his features solemn as he looked the man in the eyes "How and Why I do not know, I wasn't exactly the poster boy for reincarnation."

"That you weren't." Todoh scoffed, recalling all the evils Lelouch had done as both Zero and the demon emperor, though he balanced it along with all the good "So what, you seek to do things right this time?"

"I have already informed Kirihara-dono of my intentions." Lelouch informed the man, smiling coyly at the Colonel's quirked eyebrow, noting the man's intrigue "No doubt you can see the differences already?"

"You didn't murder Katase." Todoh pointed out, a hint of anger in his stare, though it was muted, as the teen technically hadn't committed the crime this time, and so couldn't be held accountable for it "That doesn't mean I trust you."

"I'm counting on that." Lelouch admitted, surprising the colonel as he got on his knees, seiza style "I need you Todoh, not just as a soldier, but to ensure that I don't go astray again." He bowed his head before the man "Please…don't let the same mistakes happen again…"

Todoh blinked, his memories of the past life clashing with the memories of the present, as he gaped down at the teen before him. Part of him wanted to throttle the man, part of him wanted to ignore him, but the part of him that recalled the man's sacrifice, and the look on his face as he faced his death with open arms, decided for him.

"I'm going to need my sword." The Colonel chuckled, smirking wryly as Lelouch got up with a smile.

* * *

_Clovis Memorial Museum..._

While all this was going on, Euphemia was standing before the gathered masses, feeling completely out of her element as the Curator for the museum announced that she would select the grand prize winner.

"The work of art upon which you place this flower will be deemed the winner your highness." The curator instructed, sending pointed looks all the while to the portrait of her father, which was deliberately placed in the center of the hall, as if her own particular tastes meant little.

In truth, Euphemia thought the portrait to be rather over done, an attempt to suck up to the empire by currying the emperor's favor. Really, at least the other entrants had the taste to attempt something unique.

'If it were sister, she'd probably pick something else as well…' she muttered, as the elder Li Britannia did NOT like being hedged in, literally or figuratively, by people's expectations 'Why does she always leave these things to me…'

"Incoming broadcast from the detention facility!" a voice called out, the group turning in alarm to gape as the broadcast came up, revealing the prison in flames, with Knightmares clashing all around.

"Blast!" Dalton snarled, gritting is teeth, as Lady Cornelia had left not an hour after her interrogation of Jeremiah, taking Guilford with her "I told them they might try something!"

Euphemia, the flower clutched tightly to her bosom, could only look on in amazement as the black Knights busted down a wall, leading an armored truck into the facility, a red Knightmare and Burai charging out of it to meet them.

* * *

_With the Knights..._

"Colonel!" Chiba greeted, the female sword looking on in wondrous joy as her leader, and secret crush, dismounted from Zero's Knightmare, even as the other swords greeted their commander joyously.

"Thank you." The Colonel offered solemnly, smiling at his men, all four of them miraculously brought back from the dead by whatever quirk of fate had befallen Lelouch and himself "I owe you all one."

"I wouldn't be opposed to a round of sake later." Senba chuckled, the balding veteran smirking at the younger colonel, even as Urabe and Asahina grinned in agreement "But we'll deal with that later, where's Zero?"

"Riding piggyback with Kouzuki." Todoh replied, earning a look of surprise from the group as he inclined his head towards the Gurren, a small smirk forming on his face "How're you doing in there, by the way?"

"A little cramped." Zero admitted, his tone laced with mild annoyance as the hatch opened, which was nothing compared to the embarrassment Kallen felt at having the revolutionary, certain parts more than other, lying against her back "Though I doubt either of us would have preferred the alternative."

"No indeed." Todoh snorted, ignoring the flush on Chiba's face as he clambered into his newly supplied black Gekka, missing the more advanced form of the Zangetsu as Lelouch clambered back into the Burai "Now then, let's show the Black Knights how the Holy Swords Dance!"

"I think not!" a voice called out, the Gurren leaping up to intercept a Slash Harken aimed at Todoh's cockpit, even as the swords tightened their perimeter around the leaders, looking on as a Gloucester advanced on them, spear at the ready "Zero! I Shall not allow you to do as you please!"

"Is that…Gottwald?" Todoh wondered, the Colonel speaking to Lelouch on a pre-arranged,private frequency, even as the Four Holy Swords scattered, charging into battle with the former Margrave "Is he-?"

"Awake? Yes." Lelouch assured the man, even as he raced in to challenge the Margrave's Gloucester himself, piloting his Custom Burai with admirable skill "But play along…this is all part of the plan I told you about."

"Understood." Todoh acknowledged, a light of understanding in his eyes as he activated the Black Knightmare, charging forwards with his sword drawn "Surround him," he ordered his troops "But do not destroy, let's see how Britannia likes it when we take a hostage!"

"ROGER!"

* * *

_Britannian Viewing booth..._

"Oh my…" Lloyd chuckled, the earl of pudding looking on with interest as the battle below carried out "Aren't those new enemy models amazing?" he sighed "It's simply to bad that the Lancelot's still in the shop…they might not compare, but it'd be a valuable test nonetheless."

"If someone hadn't wated all our budget on BUILDING the Lancelot the repairs wouldn't be taking so long." Cecile pointed out, earning a look of discomfort from the earl of pudding, even as Suzaku looked on with a frown.

On the one hand, he was relieved that he wouldn't be executing Colonel Todoh, as resolved as he was the man had been a major influence in his life. But on the other, that fact that Zero was behind this act made him angry, as the man was once again using terrorism to get what he wanted.

"My that Jeremiah hasn't lost his touch." Lloyd noted, watching in approval as the disgraced margrave lopped off an arm from one of the enemy units, "But then I guess he has a reason to prove himself."

Suzaku flinched, recalling how the man had dragged him up on false charges, simply to calm the Britannian public down. He had no personal grudge against the man, as he was just doing his job, but some wounds ran deep, and the fact that it was Jeremiah out there, rather than himself, rankled deeply.

* * *

_Clovis Memorial Museum..._

"That's crazy…" a reporter wondered, the collective press looking on in awe as Jeremiah's Gloucester, which had lost an arm over the course of the battle, fought on against the attacking elevens "One man against Seven?"

"Looks like he's holding his own!" another reporter noted, only for gasps of horror to fill the air as a rocket caught the Gloucester in the 'face', knocking it off balance, only for it to recover admirably and carry on "Look'it him go!"

"Lord Gottwald?" Euphemia wondered, looking up at the screen in confusion as the former Margrave singlehandedly fought off the Four Holy Swords, piloting the Gloucester with considerable skill, even by her sister's standards "What is he doing there?"

"Send in everything we've got…" Dalton muttered into his earpiece, scowling at the screen as he watched the outnumbered margrave battle the enemy. It seemed the man had stayed behind after his lady and Guilford had left for their meeting "Lend Gottwald our support in wiping out the terrorists…and see if you can get a message out to him."

* * *

_At the battlefield..._

"It's been a while, Jeremiah Gottwald." Todoh greeted, the Colonel's normally stern features lined with a smirk as he locked blades with the former Margrave "So you're still flying the orange banner huh?"

"I can say the same for you, Colonel." Jeremiah returned with a smirk of his own, the two Knightmares locked in deadly combat "My loyalty remains true to my prince, and I see you have recovered your memory as well."

"I would seem we're both a bunch of fools then aren't we." Todoh muttered, the Colonel shaking his head in disbelief as the two renewed comrades broke apart "Tell me, what does Lelouch plan this time?"

"The same as last…only this time we do it RIGHT." Jeremiah replied, dodging out of range of a swipe from Urabe, driving the spiky haired Sword off with his lance, even as he blocked a strike from Chiba.

"I commend you on your loyalty." Todoh muttered, the Colonel twirling his Gekka's blade expertly, even as he came around for another strike "However, that doesn't mean I'm going easy on you!"

"I would have it no other way my comrade!" Jeremiah laughed, his face lighting up with a grin as the two warriors clashed, their weapons kicking up sparks, only to separate as machinegun fire separated them.

"LORD JEREMIAH!" Villetta called out, the golden eyed woman leading another troupe of Sutherlands to back up her old friend, their sheer numbers forcing the four holy swords to retreat from the battle "Are you alright?"

"Damn…" Todoh muttered, though there was a light of amusement in the Colonel's eyes as he turned to regard the equally amused Jeremiah, even as Lelouch gave the Black Knights the order to retreat "till next time."

"I'll wash my neck." Jeremiah offered, earning a bark of laughter from the Japanese Colonel as the Black Knights retreated, their objective complete.

* * *

_Back at the Museum..._

"Gottwald!" Dalton barked, the scarred Knight of Cornelia's voice cutting over the intercom, scowling up at the monitor as he finally managed to get patched through "Report! What's the situation?"

"I'm alright, Lord Dalton" Jeremiah assured the massive Knight, the exhaustion in his tone giving Dalton a good impression of how rough the battle had been "Casualties are minimal and the Black Knights are retreating, do you want me to pursue?"

"Hang back for now." Dalton muttered, suppressing his desire to see Zero and his ilk routed, even as Villetta and her troops secured the perimeter his eyes hard as he watched Todoh slip away "You did good Gottwald."

"Lord Jeremiah?" Euphemia asked, the younger li Britannia looking up at her sister's Knight in confusion, Dalton cursing as he realized she'd been paying attention "Is that Lord Jeremiah out there?"

"It is, Princess." Dalton admitted, his scarred features softening slightly as he turned to face his lady's sister "He was on site at milady's request, it seemed he remained there when she and Guilford left."

"Can I speak with him?" Euphemia asked, the Knight hesitating, as it was a serious breach of military protocol and his orders from his lady, before surrendering his communicator to the princess, as she DID technically outrank him "Lord Jeremiah?"

"Princess Euphemia?" Jeremiah Gottwald replied, the former margrave sounding haggard, his breath sounding in rough gasps over the communicator, but nonetheless surprised to hear from her "Is there something amiss your highness?"

"Are you alright?" Euphemia asked, ignoring the enquiring eyes, ears and recording devices of the reporters that were listening into her conversation, leaving them to face Dalton'glare as she turned her gaze towards the screen.

"I am unharmed…" Jeremiah assured her, the former margrave chuckling slightly "though I believe lord Guilford will be most annoyed with me later…I didn't ask for clearance to use this Gloucester..."

"So long as you're alright, that is good." Euphemia assured him, smiling in relief as the wounded Gloucester was aided back to the hangar by several Sutherlands "Rest now, Dalton and I will speak with my sister on your behalf."

"My thanks, your highness…" the former Margrave offered, his tone laced with exhaustion and grateful reverence, before breaking off all communications as Euphemia lowered the communicator.

"Princess Euphemia." A reporter called out, braving Dalton's ire as he drew the sub-viceroy's attention away from the screen "You seem to know the pilot of that Gloucester, could he be the candidate for your Knight?"

"Of course he can't." another countered, cutting off the princess words with a mocking shake of his head "That's Jeremiah Gottwald, the idiot that let Zero make a fool of him in public, no way the princess would recruit someone like that.

"That is-! Dalton began, a scowl on his face as he stepped forward to silence the rumormongers, only to halt as Euphemia held up her hand, the pink haired princess looking down at the newshound with a regal expression.

"That is correct." The third princess of Britannia spoke, her eyes shining with the same steel as her elder sibling as she lifted her gaze to the screen "That man, Jeremiah Gottwald, is the man I choose to serve as my Knight."

* * *

And there we go, the moment i've been building up to.

don't expect any more updates for a while...i'm officially on sic leave.

toodles.


	19. Chapter 19

C.C: Wow...using Euphemia as an accomplice to mind fuckery...you're evil.

Kyugan: I try.

Lelouch: Don't go getting any ideas.

Kyugan: Shut it, sis-con.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Knighthood.

"And so it begins…" Lelouch mused, the elder Lamperouge smirking as he watched the recording of the museum Broadcast, and Euphemia's stunning, but not entirely unexpected proclamation, later that evening, wondering just how Cornelia was going to react to this little change.

"Probably better than when it was Suzaku." He mused, a wry smirk adorning his features "After all, at least Jeremiah is a Britannian, and being part of mother's guard will go a long way."

"Still, don't you think you're deviating from the scenario a little too much?" C.C asked, the immortal witch walking up alongside him "After all, revealing yourself to Todoh didn't quite go the way you anticipated."

"On the contrary." Lelouch countered sitting back in his chair "I HAD anticipated such a result, though admittedly it was still a surprise to see it work." He looked up at the witch, a confident smirk on his face "How's he doing?"

"Better." C.C admitted with a smile "He's the same stoic man he always was, heaven only knows what Chiba ever saw in him." She looked down at him "He wants to speak with you."

"Indeed." Lelouch acknowledged, the former emperor gesturing idly for the immortal to open the door with his hand "By all means, I'm sure he has much to talk about."

"Be careful." C.C warned, the immortal's tone teasing, though there was concern in her golden eyes "You're not ME after all, I doubt you'd survive decapitation."

"And to think I took extra care to wash my neck…" Lelouch mused, before turning round to face Todoh as the grim faced Colonel entered "Good evening General Todoh, Sake?"

"No." the colonel refused, albeit politely, despite the grimness of his features as he stood before Lelouch, his sword in hand "You have some explaining to do. Lelouch vi Britannia."

"Where would you like me to begin?" Lelouch asked, spreading his arms wide to show he was unarmed, his eye patch in place, concealing his Geass from view "If it's answer why we're currently reliving the Black Rebellion, I'm afraid you're asking the wrong man."

"Or Demon." Todoh murmured, his tone grim, though Lelouch swore he saw the man's lips quirk for the slightest of seconds, before fixing him with his patented Samurai glare "You lied to us."

"Did I?" Lelouch countered "I admitted to Taizo Kirihara and the Kyoto council that I wasn't Japanese…if you'll search your memory, you'll recall that I even unmasked before Kirihara, so he knew everything from the start."

"That's the only reason your head still adorns your shoulders." Todoh admitted, his eyes narrowing further, if that were possible, even as he relaxed his grip on his Katana sheath "What I want to know is this, did you ever, at any time, use your Geass to control me, or my men?"

"Would it matter if I said no?" Lelouch countered, his tone solemn as he looked the stern faced colonel in the eye "Colonel Todoh, I valued your skills as they were, for that I needed your mind clear." He spread his arms wide "The only member of the Black Knights whom I used Geass upon were myself and Kallen, and hers was simply to uncover whether she was a member of the resistance, long before Zero ever made an appearance."

"One other thing." Todoh murmured, his tone suspicios, as if he didn't completely believe one word that was being said to him "The 'Massacre Princess'…was that your doing as well?"

"Not by intention." Lelouch muttered, and here the ghost of pained memories washed over him as he recalled gunning down Euphemia "V.V, the director of the Geass order, manipulated my Geass, forcibly, and permanently activating it, just as I was explaining to her it's effects."

"So you were used?" Todoh asked, quirking a brow at the Britannian prince, his stare unrelenting and understandanly disbelieving "How do I know you're not lying?"

"I stand, well, sit, before you unarmed, with my Geass covered, and with no-one but C.C as witness." Lelouch replied, smiling self-mockingly at the general "Surely you don't believe I could EVER match you in hand to hand combat, Todoh-Sensei?"

"True…" Todoh scoffed, and here his sterness melted away as he eyed the purple eyed prince before him warmly "You lacked Suzaku's commitment to the training."

"That's hardly fair." Lelouch countered, wincing at the memory of Todoh's attempts to toughen him up as a child "He'd been at it for years, and I was always frail."

"Lazy is more like it." C.C countered, the immortal witch sitting off to the side with a plate of pizza laid out before her "Marianne spoiled you and Nunnally rotten."

"Witch…" Lelouch swore, glaring at the green haired woman without any actual anger, before turning his attention back to Todoh "So then, can I count on you this time around?"

"The others have already filled me in on the council's plans." Todoh admitted, his features solemn as he crossed his arms before him "You're taking a huge risk."

"If it makes up for the sins of the past…" Lelouch countered, his eye determined "Then I don't care what the risks to myself are…I've already given my life for a better world once, I'm not afraid to do so again."

"Spoken like a true king." Todoh applauded, shaking his head as he clapped a hand on the teen's shoulder "Then on my honor, I shall stand by your side."

"Thank you…" Lelouch offered, genuine gratitude lining his features "Now, about that sake…"

* * *

_The Next Day, Viceroy's palace..._

"Jeremiah Gottwald…" Euphemia called out, the princess standing as the former Margrave knelt before her, dressed in the white garb of a Knight, a sword at his hip "Wilt thou, upon this day, pledge your fealty to Britannia, and stand as a Knight of the Crown?"

"Yes, your highness." Jeremiah vowed, the former MArgrave's arm crossed before his chest as he bowed his head before Cornelia's younger sister reverently.

"Does thou wish to abandon thyself," Euphemia continued, her features as calm as they were beautiful "and be a sword and shield for the sake of the greater good?"

"Yes, your Highness." Jeremiah vowed, reaching down and Drawing his sword, presenting it with the tip aimed at his breast as the princess stepped forward to accept the hilt.

"I, Euphemia li Britannia…" the princess announced, tapping first his right, then his left shoulders with the sword "do herby dub thee Sir Jeremiah Gottwald."

She returned the man's blade to him, Jeremiah sheathing it at his waist once more, before rising at her gesture, turning to face the gathered masses that had come to see his anointment.

In the front row were Villetta and the few remaining members of the purists that remained under her command. Behind them, filling the audience hall, were numerous lords and ladies in all their finery, all of whom offered a polite, yet less-than enthusiastic applause, as was appropriate for such a solemn occasion.

'Hypocrites…' the former Margrave swore, though externally he kept his features regal as he bowed to them all 'You were more honest when it was Kururugi on the stage…' his eyes glanced off to the side, where Earl Asplund was offering a mocking ovation, the foppish earl of pudding clearly considering this to be one amusing joke 'Speaking of which…'

"Well this is a surprise…" Lloyd noted, the earl of Pudding smiling foppishly as Jeremiah accosted him after the ceremony "What ever could a recently anointed Knight want with me?"

"I suppose I deserve such mocking words." Jeremiah admitted, his usual irritation with Kururugi's eccentric employer smothered with his determination to see the next part of his true master's mission through "I was wondering how warrant officer Kururugi was doing? I heard he and the Lancelot took a proper thrashing at the hands of Zero and his Black Knights."

"Yes." Lloyd muttered, his usual foppish demeanor giving away to irritation at the memory of the damage his beloved Lancelot had suffered "Bad enough they've been showing us up on the playing field, but as a result of that, and the lack of positive results, the home office has been delaying the parts necessary to conduct more effective repairs."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jeremiah offered "I owe Kururugi and the Lancelot a debt, I might not be here had they not intervened before."

"Yes…" Lloyd mused, his usual foppish sneer back in place as he eyed the former Margrave "Funny boy that Suzaku, saving the man that wrongfully arrested him."

"It was for the good of the empire." Jeremiah defended, only to hold up a hand to forestall another pointless argument "Regardless, perhaps I can…arrange for those parts you need to be delivered?"

"Well now…" Lloyd noted, his eyes dancing with hidden mirth, even as a slightly less condescending smirk adorned his features "Could this be the nobility of Knighthood talking?"

"Hardly." Jeremiah scoffed, waving a dismissive hand "Even before my Knighthood, Jeremiah Gottwald was never a man to forget a debt, seeing the Lancelot returned to full power will be a pleasure."

"Well then, I'll leave it to you, Jerry!" Lloyd chuckled before prancing off into the crowd before Jeremiah could glare at him for the nickname.

'Gods that man is annoying.' The former margrave muttered, shaking his head in disbelief as he turned to address another guest 'how on earth Rakshata and Miss Croomy put up with him is beyond me.'

* * *

_Ashford Academy..._

"Hello Nina." Lelouch greeted, smiling politely as he entered the Student council office, glad that the halls weren't filled with the preparations for Suzaku's anointment party as they had been the last time.

"O-Oh!" Nina gasped, stuffing her magazine out of sight as she looked up at the eye patch sporting vice-president in alarm, having not heard him enter, so intent on her task at hand "L-Lelouch, is there something you need?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Lelouch admitted, smiling at the girl as he walked over to her, cup of coffee in hand "You've been locked in here for hours according to Milly, she's worried about you."

"S-Sorry," Nina apologized, the bespectacled girl bowing her head in embarassment to avoid looking at the teen "It's just, I'm certain that I'm close to a breakthrough here…"

"Oh?" Lelouch wondered, a look of interest adorning his face as he leant over her shoulder, pretending to ignore the flush as he brushed past her ear "Hmm…this looks like it could be something big…what is it?"

"A Uranium isotope." Nina admitted, sounding increasingly more confident as she looked back at the screen "If you can get it to absorb active neutrons, it should speed into high speed neutrons and atomic nuclei."

"Sounds like that'd make a pretty big explosion." Lelouch admitted with a hint of nervousness, though internally he was breaking out in a cold sweat as he recognized the precursor for one of the deadliest weapons known to man "I wonder what Princess Euphemia would say about that."

Nina flinched, and Lelouch knew he'd struck pay dirt, as the xenophobic girl looked down at her hands, ashamed "Do…do you think she'd…disapprove?"

"Well…" Lelouch mused "I know for a FACT that Princess Cornelia is all for any and all military advancements, so making a better bomb would probably get her hot under the collar, though not as much as Crown Princess Guinevere." He smirked as this caused Nina's face to turn a bright scarlet "Euphemia on the other hand…I can't see her approving of ANYTHING that could be used as a weapon."

"I…I see…" Nina murmured, looking downcast, as she was so close to a breakthrough she could almost feel it "Perhaps…if we modulate the level of absorption…it COULD be used as an alternative for Sakuradite…"

"Euphemia is ALL for finding alternative sources of energy." Lelouch assured the xenophobic girl, internally sighing in relief that nobody would be pointing a FLEIJA in his general direction in the near future "Hell she might even give you a private audience for it."

"You really think so?" Nina asked, the bespectacled teen looking up at the vice president excitedly, only to blush as Lelouch smiled down at her encouragingly.

"How could she refuse someone as cute as you?" Lelouch teased, smirking to himself as Nina's glasses fogged up and she passed out, shaking his head in bemusement as he left the girl, making a copy of her findings thus far, intending to have Rakshata take a look at them later.

While Nina was certainly not likely to make the FLEIJA prototype now, that didn't mean that devising a countermeasure for it wouldn't be in the world's best interests. After all, if a xenophobic schoolgirl could do it, who knew what someone under Schniezel could do?

* * *

_With Suzaku..._

"Why are we going to Shikine Island?" Suzaku asked, the Warrant officer looking up at Lloyd in confusion as the transport vessel carrying Princess Euphemia and her escort sped across the ocean "I mean, the Lancelot's repairs aren't ready yet, are they?"

"No," Lloyd admitted "However, Lord Jeremiah called in a favor and had the parts we need to finish those repairs be on hand when we get there." He sighed "On the one hand I'm glad we can get my Lancelot back on it's feet, but on the other the idea of having HIM see it in such a state…"

"Him…?" Suzaku wondered, only to fall silent as Cecile shook her head, nodding in understanding as he eyed the bridge crew. The Lancelot was the pet project of the 2nd Prince and Prime Minister of the Empire, Schniezel el Britannia. It therefore stood to reason that the Lancelot's lack of performance would doubtlessly upset the man. And considering how the Royals tended to look upon things that upset them…

Needless to say, Lloyd's overly dramatic discomfort suddenly made a lot more sense.

* * *

_Black Knights' Submarine..._

"Euphemia is going to that island to meet a Noble from their homeland." Zero declared, speaking to the Black Knights as their sub approached the island from the other side to avoid the Britannian escort's radar "Her knight, Jeremiah Gottwald, will be accompanying her, and sources indicate the Lancelot is on hand as well."

"So they've fixed it already?" Kallen mused, recalling her last encounter with the white Knightmare, cursing herself for not destroying it outright, Zero's orders or no.

"Who cares?" Tamaki scoffed, shaking his head with a mocking grin "Thanks to Zero we've been able to outwit that poser every time he's shown his face."

"That far out at sea the enemy's strength will be limited." Zero continued, cutting off the redheaded duo's bickering "This makes for a golden opportunity, our objective is to capture the Lancelot and it's pilot: Suzaku Kururugi."

"That guy they tried to frame for Clovis' death?" Tamaki exclaimed, even as the four holy swords looked at one another "So he repays us by trying to get in our way does he?"

"The man has his own reasons for fighting." Zero countered, his tone brooking no argument as he spoke "Nonetheless, I want him unharmed, IF possible, though otherwise you may use your discretion. The Lancelot, on the other hand, is to be brought back relatively intact."

"Planning to take a look under the hood are we?" Rakshata asked, the Gurren's 'mother' smiling coyly up at the masked man, her pipe in hand as she leant against the wall.

"I thought you'd enjoy it." Zero opined, his tone amused as he eyued the elder woman "After all, consider it a chance to mess around with one of the 'Earl of Pudding's' toys."

"Oh?" Rakshata mused, quirking her eyebrow at the masked vigilante's words, as the man had clearly done his homework "In that case, I should have the perfect thing to snare our little white lab rat."

"I look forward to seeing the GEFUJIN disturber in action." Zero noted, inclining his head at the Indian scientist as she actually dropped her pipe from shock "It should prove a most informative test-run."

'Well…' Rakshata mused, watching as the man walked off, flanked by C.C, Kallen, and Todoh, a thrill rushing through her at how easily he was able to read her 'Things certainly aren't boring around here…'

* * *

_Shikine Island..._

"Arrival time's right on schedule." One of the dock-hands reported, saluting Euphemia and her envoys as they disembarked "We've prepared a room for you back at headquarters, if you'd care to wait there."

"Is it safe to assume that the ship is docking here?" Euphemia asked, smiling as the man nodded his head in a polite affirmative "Then this will do fine then."

"Very well," the dock-hand acknowledged, bowing his head to the third princess "In that case I';; arrange for an escort…" he trailed off with a frown as his headset unleashed a burst of static, only to stagger as several explosions rocked the base.

"Headquarters seems to be under some sort of attack!" one of the officers manning a nearby jeep reported, features grim as he looked up to relay the news.

"A terrorist attack?" Suzaku wondered, the warrant officer looking up in alarm as the sound of wailing sirens filled the air, followed by the sound of Knightmare Combat "It cant be…the Black Knights!"

"We'll withdraw to the settlement." Cecile insisted, her features grim even as Euphemia's eyes widening in surprise "Can you Arrange an escort unit for her?"

"There will be no need, Miss Croomy." Jeremiah assured the technician, a hand across his chest as he stepped forwards "I will personally see to my Lady's safety."

"No, Lord Jeremiah," Euphemia insisted, her gentle features stern as she looked up at her recently anointed Knight "You should help these men fend off the attack."

"It would be my great pleasure to do so, Milady." Jeremiah assured her as he placed his hands on her shoulders "But only AFTER you have been evacuated to a safe location, for I could not bear to lose another master to terrorists."

Euphemia blinked, her eyes widening as she realized whom her Knight was referring to, even as he turned to Suzaku, features commanding "Kururugi!" the former margrave snapped, the stunned warrant officer snapping to attention "What are you waiting for? Get mounted up and give those terrorists what for!"

"But…" Euphemia began, looking on in concern as Suzaku raced off, no doubt trying to commandeer a Sutherland to join the battle, only to blink as she caught the look in her Knight's eyes.

"Trust me, My Lady." Jeremiah urged her, his tone soft, gentle, as he eased her back towards the vessel they came on "I know what I'm doing."

* * *

_Battlefield..._

"Tamaki…Kallen." Zero ordered, the masked revolutionary watching the battle unfurl inside his custom Burai from atop a ridge "Word just in that Suzaku has joined the fray in a Sutherland, uploading his IFF signal now.

"You sure we can't just toast the little traitor and be done with it?" Tamaki demanded, his tone irritated, but resigned "I mean he's been nothing but an ungrateful thorn in our sides since we first met!"

"Be that as it may…" Zero mused "I still have a use for Suzaku…" He smirked as his 'friend' rushed in, recognizing the warrant officers reckless charge even as Tamaki dodged, the IFF having warned him of Suzaku's approach 'Even if only as a means to relieve my boredom.'

"Fall back for now." He ordered, smirking to himself as he popped the hatch of his Burai, standing up so that Suzaku wouldn't be able to miss his presence on the monitors "Rakshata, is everything ready?"

"I hope you know what you're doing…" Rakshata opined, though she sounded oddly bemused with the situation "One mistake and you could end up dead?"

"What kind of leader would I be if I didn't share in the risks?" Zero countered, returning to his cockpit as Suzaku's Sutherland broke off, leading the warrant officer on a merry chase around the island 'I just pray I got the timing down pat…'

* * *

_With Suzaku..._

"Zero!" Suzaku called out, his Sutherland easily gaining on the revolutionary's customized Burai "Step out of your Knightmare immediately and surrender yourself!"

"You really need to work on your pick up lines, Kururugi." He teased over the radio, his tone mocking, knowing that it was being broadcast all over the island "Really now, how many times have we danced like this?"

"Don't you mock me!" Suzaku snapped, firing on the Burai's heels, his anger causing the shots to go wide, though a few glanced off it's armor "Today I'll have satisfaction for all the humiliation you've given me!"

"Some people just can't accept defeat gracefully…" Zero sighed, his tone laced with mock sadness as he shook his head "Really Kururugi, if you keep this up, I won't want to play with you anymore."

"ZERO!" Suzaku roared, the Sutherland rushing forwards, the warrant officer literally running blind as his vision tunneled in. all he could see, all he WANTED to see, was Zero's Knightmare running ahead of him, just barely outside his reach, so wrapped up in his anger that he barely noticed when they moved off solid ground and onto the beach, Zero's Burai leaping down a sand dune, only to stall as it mired in a pit.

"Zero!" the warrant officer declared, his sutherland's bladed tonfas activating as he stabbed into the Burai's cockpit, peeling the armor plating away "This time, I've got you right where-!"

"You want me?" Zero asked, Suzaku's eyes widening as the cockpit of the Burai opened, the Warrant officer's eyes widening at the stuffed doll with a mocking effigy of Zero's helmet on it's head at the controls, looking up to see several Knightmares standing in a ring just outside the pit, including Zero, who was standing atop another custom Burai, his stance triumphant and mocking "I'm afraid, Kururugi, that once again it's the other way around."

"You-!" Suzaku began, only to blink as his instruments went haywire, his eyes widening as the Sutherland shut down completely, leaving him in the dark, confined cockpit.

"I really wish I could stay and keep you company…" Zero offered, his tone mocking, even as a submarine appeared near the beach, Suzaku's eyes widening as he espied the Lancelot strapped to it's prow "But I have an appointment to keep, and a new toy with which to play."

"ZERO!" Suzaku roared, slamming his fists repeatedly into the unresponsive controls of the Sutherland, even as the Black Knights fell back, leaving him trapped in the GEFUJIN disturber, unable to do anything but howl his defeat.

* * *

Oh I'm just so evil I could sing!

C.C: Please don't, there are laws against it.

Lelouch: Review to keep the unspeakable from happening!


	20. Chapter 20

Kyugan: I have to warn you, this update took forever to get out because, while Second Chance is my first Geass fic, it was essentially a trial run for future Geass fics. After this chapter, things will start deviating from cannon like no tomorrow, so I'll need to examine both Series 1 and 2 like a bat out of hell just to make sure I don't mess up.

For starters, the Gawain and Shinkiro, should I simply upgrade the Gawain so it has Shinkiro's weapons, or make the mech anyways?

Next, the Geass order, how the hell am i supposed to get them their?

Thirdly The Knights of the Round. I'm gonna need to deal with them eventually, but without the Lancelot, they'll be limited to Glouchesters and such, as all future Knightmares were based off the Lancelot and Gawain designs.

In short...lotta work...don't expect another update for a LONG time.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Isle of the Gods.

"They've stolen the Lancelot?" Cecile gaped, the blue-haired technician's eyes widening in alarm as she clapped a hand over her mouth, even as several technicians tried to revive Lloyd. The Earl of pudding, upon hearing the news, had loosed a horrified scream, gripping the sides of his face in a 'scream' pose, coughing up a lungful of blood, before keeling over bonelessly. He was currently lying lifelessly on the ground, frothing at the mouth, not responding to any outside stimuli "How did they get past security?"

"We don't know…" one of the officers on hand admitted, looking stymied as he read over the report again "Apparently several technicians just got it ready, and a submarine came and loaded it on."

"This is terrible!" Cecile moaned, the blue haired technician holding her head between her hands as she thought of all the hours she and Lloyd had put into the experimental white Knightmare "Second Prince Schneizel will be furious!"

"There's…one other thing…" the officer muttered, looking uncertain as he accepted a sealed envelope from a nearby technician "This message was left for you…" he stated, holding it out to Cecile with a strange expression on his face "it's from Zero."

"Zero?" Cecile wondered, the Lancelot's co-developer blinking in confusion, only to accept the envelope, looking it over as Lloyd, who'd just revived thanks to the sound of an opened pudding packet, raged in the background.

_'Miss Cecile Croomy' _she read, marveling at the man's impeccable penmanship, a clear sign of a good education, as few bothered with old-fashioned, quill-tip pens these days except the nobles and the eccentrics '_by the time you read this letter, my men will have successfully liberated the Lancelot from your possession. I offer my humblest apologies for whatever grief this may cause you, though let me assure you that it shall not be harmed, as I shall be turning it over to the capable hands of your former colleague, Miss Rakshata Chawla.'_

'So Rakshata IS involved…' Cecile noted, sighing at the revelation, partially relieved, because at least now she knew Lancelot was in good hands, and partially concerned, because good or not, the mech was still in enemy hands.

_'By the way'_ the letter continued _'it might be presumptuous of me, but I always believed that dress you keep in your wardrobe for 'special occasions' suits you much better than that those military fatigues. I hope to see you wearing it someday, perhaps in more, PRIVATE, surroundings? Sincerely, ZERO.'_

'HOW DOES HE KNOW ABOUT THAT?' Cecile demanded, her features turning bright red as she crushed the letter between her nervous fingers. She hadn't even shown LLOYD the dress, though that was simply because the man had the sexual drive of a suicidal lemming, and all the tact of a sledgehammer.

Despite her embarrassment, however, the blue haired technician had to admit it was, flattering, to receive such a compliment from a man, even if it WAS an indirect one, not to mention that the man in question was on the International Most Wanted List.

"DEPLOY THE ARMY!" Lloyd roared, the Earl of Pudding struggling in the restraining grip of the medical officers, flames spouting from his mouth as they tried to ram medication down his throat "DEPLOY THE NAVY! DEPLOY THE AIR FORCE! DEPLOY CHUCK NORRIS! JUST GET MY LANCELOT BACK!"

* * *

_Black Knight Submarine... _

"Fascinating…" Rakshata mused, the blonde scientist looking over the schematics for the Lancelot one a projector screen as her team of technicians examined the white Knightmare directly "The Earl of Pudding's work to be sure…" she noted, a bemused smile coming to her features "I can only imagine the look on his face when he learns we've stolen it."

"Try not to make TOO many adjustments." Zero warned, the masked revolutionary standing at the woman's side as he overlooked the Lancelot's examination "It's no good to us if we can't find a pilot."

"Don't mistake me for the Earl of Pudding." Rakshata countered, smiling coyly as she tapped the bowl of her pipe against the revolutionary's mask teasingly, other hand supporting her elbow "Unlike HIM, I don't assume the rest of the world should conduct themselves to my standards…" she sighed "Human's simply aren't built to order."

"Indeed, otherwise you'd have brought the Shenhu with you along with the Gurren." Zero agreed, the Indian scientist quirking one delicate brow, not entirely surprised that the masked man knew of her problem child "However, I believe that shouldn't be a problem for long."

"You make it sound like you have a pilot candidate…" Rakshata noted, her tone amused, though internally she was intrigued by the man's words, and a little eager if she was honest with herself.

"Nothing concrete yet." Zero assured her, inclining his head "But if all things go well, the Shenhu will soon grace the battlefield with its presence."

"I look forward to it." Rakshata offered, smiling as Zero inkling his head, before walking out of the lab, Kallen following at his heels, as always "Such an interesting man…"

* * *

_Command Bridge..._

"How long until we reach Kamine Island?" Zero asked, the revolutionary stepping onto the command bridge of the submarine, the Knights on hand snapping to attention at the sight of their leader.

"Not long now." Todoh assured him, the colonel's tone polite but firm as he inclined his head towards the masked teen "Shall we deploy forces to scour the island?"

"No." Zero countered, shaking his helmeted head as he eyed the map before him "Kallen and I will advance alone from this point."

"Shall I prep the Gurren?" the redhead asked, looking surprised, though honored, that the masked revolutionary thought so highly of her to bring her along.

"No need." Zero assured the redhead, his modulated tone laced with amusement, much to her confusion "We're simply going to meet with someone there…and to pick up ANOTHER piece that will aid us greatly in the coming war."

Kallen blinked, noting Todoh incline his head off to the side, the grim-faced Colonel's eyes filled with understanding that was lost on the rest of the Knights, only for the redhead to follow Zero out of the command room, leaving Todoh in charge.

* * *

_Kamine Island..._

"I see…" Euphemia wondered, the third Princess of the empire's tone laced with concern as she listened to Cecile's report, the blue haired technician filling the sub-viceroy in as to the situation on Shikine Island.

She and Jeremiah had made their escape in a small, VTOL that the base had provided, only to be forced to set down due to engine trouble on the beach of Kamine Island, several miles from the actual evacuation point they'd relayed.

"And how is Suzaku?" she asked, concern for the eleven, 'Japanese' she corrected herself, teen evident in her voice "And Earl Asplund?"

"Warrant Officer Kururugi…" Cecile began, only to pause to correct her self "That is, Suzaku, is unhurt…" she assured the sub-viceroy "However the fact that Zero just walked off with our Lancelot really got to him." She winced as the sound of something breaking in the background echoed over the communicator "And as for Lloyd…let's just say he'll be using plastic utensils for a while."

"I see." Euphemia noted, the younger li Britannia sweatdropping slightly at the sound of Lloyd screaming, in passable Klingon no less, in the background, the Earl of pudding running across the background, dressed in what looked like a makeshift kilt, complete with blue war paint, waving a giant wrench over his head threateningly, a crowd of medical officers hot on his tail.

"But enough about us." Cecile countered, the blue haired technician speaking up, drawing the stunned princess' attention back to her, blue eyes filled with in concern "How about YOU, your Highness?" she asked, looking the sub-viceroy over for any external injuries "Did Lord Jeremiah get you to safety?"

"He did." Euphemia assured the older woman, a smile on her face as she eyed her Knight, who was off to the side, communicating with the military outpost on his communicator "We're on Kamine Island now, my brother's excavation team is on the other side from our landing point."

"Prince Schniezel will be relieved." Cecile sighed, flushing slightly from her encounter with the handsome Prime Minister of Britannia "When he heard the Lancelot was stolen, his first thoughts were of your safety, so we're heading there right now on the Avalon."

"Tell him we're fine." Euphemia asked, smiling at the blue haired woman gratefully, looking up to see Jeremiah walking towards her, his features calm.

"Milady, I think it best that we keep moving." The former margrave insisted, looking around the beach they'd landed on in suspicion "It's not entirely safe out here. Far too open for my tastes."

"Very well." Euphemia acknowledged, the pink haired Viceroy ending the communication with Cecile, asking the blue haired woman to take care, before standing up, idly dusting a few grains of sand off her dress, before turning to her Knight with a confident smile "Lead the way."

"As you will." Jeremiah bowed, the green haired man inclining his head in a modest bow, before leading the way along the coastline, since a trek through the jungle was completely out of the question, not with Euphemia's impractical, albeit beautiful dress.

'Perhaps there's some merit to my sister preferring uniforms.' The younger li Britannia mused, lifting her skirt up with a giggle to keep the sea water from staining the hem, smiling as she looked out across the sparkling ocean, which stretched for miles in all directions 'Easier to move in, less hassle to repair…'

"Milady…" Jeremiah warned, the former margrave's tone low, Euphemia looking up to see him pause, his hand resting on his sword, firearm in hand as he eyed the rock formation before them warily "We are not alone…"

Euphemia flinched, only for her back to straighten standing firm as she stepped forwards, just behind Jeremiah's shielding form "My name is Euphemia li Britannia." She called out, her tone gentle, but commanding "We ask that you show yourselves, friend or foe, and state your business."

"Well met, Euphemia li Britannia." A familiar, modulated voice applauded, the sub-viceroy's eyes widening as Zero stepped onto the ridge above, a member of the Black Knights, the same redheaded female from the hostage incident it seemed, stepping up alongside him, firearm in hand "And good day to you, Lord Jeremiah Gottwald."

* * *

_Jeremiah's POV..._

"Zero…" Euphemia's Knight murmured, his grip relaxing on his sword, internally smiling at the sight of his TRUE Master, though he kept up appearances, steadying his firearm so that it was aimed at the masked prince "What brings you to Kamine Island?"

"Sightseeing, mostly." Zero admitted, holding his arms wide "I heard tell that this island has spectacular ruins and wished to investigate." he gestured towards the Euphemia "But nothing can compare to the sight before me now."

"It has been a while, Zero." Euphemia greeted, the younger li Britannia placing a hand on Jeremiah's shoulder, a silent reassurance that he could stand down, the princess looking up at the masked revolutionary without a hint of fear in her eyes, though she eyed his redheaded companion warily, having not missed the potent hostility in the young woman's glare "Have you been well?"

"Better, now that we are together again." Zero offered, his tone gentle, as he continued to gaze down at the sub-viceroy, the redhead at his side looking between them in confusion, and a hint if jealousy if the Sub-Viceroy wasn't seeing things.

"Zero…" Euphemia called out, her tone implying there was something she wanted to say, but holding back in the face of their present company "There's something I wish to speak with you about."

"I surmised as much from our conversation before." The revolutionary noted, inclining his head towards the sub-viceroy, before gesturing to the forest to the side of the beach with one gloved hand "There is a small waterfall basin further that way, if you wish to speak privately." He turned to the redhead, "Kallen," he called out, inclining his helmet towards Euphemia's Knight "please keep Lord Jeremiah company."

"But-!" the redhead exclaimed, looking at her leader with a look of alarm, even as Jeremiah voiced his own concerns to his princess "Zero-!"

"I am merely going to converse with the sub-viceroy." Zero assured the redhead, Euphemia blinking as he reached out to cup the redhead's chin with gentle, gloved fingers, "I'm entrusting you and Lord Jeremiah to ensure we aren't interrupted."

"…Alright…" the redhead allotted, lowering her masked gaze, shooting the sub-viceroy a look of guarded jealousy, Euphemia noting with interest that the redhead was blushing, before holstering her weapon and leaping nimbly down the rock formation to stand before Jeremiah, who put his own weapons away as a sign of faith.

"Come, Euphemia." Zero invited, the masked Revolutionary descending down the rocky path with decidedly more caution than his bodyguard, holding out one hand to the princess, as if asking for a dance "We have much to discuss."

* * *

_Kallen's POV..._

Kallen grimaced as she watched Zero walk of with Euphemia, the Sub-Viceroy's hands resting on the revolutionary's arm as he escorted her into the jungle, looking for all the world like a couple going for a stroll.

'Stop that!' she swore, shaking her head fitfully to rid itself of the image, which shifted to replace the viceroy with HERSELF on Zero's arm 'You're his bodyguard Kallen, not some brainless groupie!' she reminded herself, shooting Jeremiah a glare as the Knight walked over to sit on a nearby rock 'Besides, I need to make sure this guy doesn't try anything.'

"Thirsty, Kouzuki?" the man called out, Kallen's eyes widening at the former Margrave's use of her mother's maiden name, "It's certainly hot out, isn't it?"

"How…did you know my name?" she demanded, wondering if her cover was blown, and whether or not her mother was in any danger, only to blink as the Knight tossed her a bottle of water, a smile on his face.

"Relax, I'm hardly going to hand you over to the authorities." Jeremiah assured her, his handsome drawl almost teasing as he smiled at her, the anger and suspicion that had adorned his features replaced with a hint of…camaraderie "That would only serve to undermine my Lord's wishes."

"You mean Euphemia?" Kallen demanded, the redhead wondering how on earth the Sub-Viceroy had managed to figure her out, only to frown at the enigmatic smile on the man's face "What is it? What's so funny?"

"As hotheaded as before…" Jeremiah marveled, the former margrave shaking his head wistfully as he sat back on his rock with a sigh "You'd have made a fine queen…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kallen demanded, her face the same shade of crimson as her Knightmare as she gaped at the man, idly wondering if he was some sort of pervert.

"It's nothing…" Jeremiah offered, holding up a hand with a self-mocking scoff as he shook his head, a wry smile adorning his face "Simply the musings of an old-guard with nothing better to do."

"Right…" Kallen murmured, the redhead shivering slightly at the wistful look in the older man's eyes as she took a breath to calm herself down "So what does Euphemia want with Zero?" she asked, hoping to get some answers out of the Knight "Or does she not TRUST you with that information?"

"It is not my place to assume to know the mind of my lady." Jeremiah countered, though his tone was polite as he looked towards the jungle "Though I am certain she merely wishes to discuss a matter of mutual importance with Zero." He turned to face her, a wry smile on his face and a teasing look in his eyes "Why? Surely you didn't think they were lovers, did you?"

"BAKA!" Kallen roared, hurling her bottle of water at the Knight's forehead, only for Jeremiah to dodge, the former Margrave letting out a burst of raucous laughter as she seethed at him in embarrassed rage.

* * *

_Euphemia's POV..._

"It's beautiful…" Euphemia wondered, her hands clasped before her as she gazed upon the waterfall basin in wonderment, her reflection wavering slightly in the crystal clear water "It's so peaceful here."

"It is indeed." Zero acknowledged, the masked man standing at her side, his hands hidden beneath his cloak, which as usual was wrapped around him like a bat's wings "One of the reasons I fight is to preserve such peace, wherever it may be, from those who would destroy it for something as petty as greed." He turned to the Sub-Viceroy, "However, I highly doubt you came here to marvel at the scenery with the enemy of Britannia."

Euphemia sighed, taking a deep breath, as if to steady herself, before turning to face the masked revolutionary head on "Zero…" she began, gazing into his masked visage "There is something I wish to ask you."

"Ask away," Zero offered, bowing to her from the waist, one arm coming out from under his cloak to rest across his chest "I am, as I claimed, your servant, milady."

"Several years ago," Euphemia began, her tone hesitant "my younger siblings, Lelouch and Nunnally, disappeared in Japan without a trace." She held her hands "My brother, Clovis, accepted his position here because he wished to find them."

"Their BODIES at any rate," Zero muttered, causing her to flinch "Do not look so distressed Euphemia," he assured her "I doubt he would have had a hand in their disappearance. The man was a fool, not fratricidal."

"My brother was many things," Euphemia countered, her tone admonishing as she looked up at the masked man "Proud and arrogant true, but he wasn't a fool."

"My apologies," Zero offered, bowing towards the frowning sub-viceroy "That was remiss of me, I understand he was close to you." He looked up "Still, what does this have to do with me?"

"Please…" Euphemia pleaded, and here her voice took on a plaintive note as she gripped her hands together, looking into the masked man's hidden eyes imploringly "please Lelouch…I know it's you in there…I don't fully understand what's going on…" tears formed in her eyes "but please…at least show me your face…"

Zero stood, slowly, looking down on the trembling, wet-eyed woman before him, before reaching up, his helmet turned slightly to the side as the hidden switch released, the collapsible back of the helmet reverting as he removed the mask, baring his face for her to see.

"You truly are as sharp as ever, Euphie." The one-eyed Lamperouge revealed, his eye patch in place to prevent any unwanted accidents as he smiled at his half-sister "You always could read me like a book."

"Lelouch-!" Euphie breathed, tears falling freely down her cheeks as she gazed on him, only to throw herself forward, her arms wrapping around his neck as she hugged him close, knocking the elder Lamperouge to the ground "Oh Lelouch…thank God…!"

* * *

_Lelouch's POV..._

Lelouch smiled, returning her embrace, his nose buried in her long, rose coloured hair, breathing in the scent of the lilies she enjoyed so much as she continued to hold him close.

"I missed you so much…" he whispered, half to himself, and half to the woman that even now refused to let him go "It hurt so much…losing you…I never thought…never dreamed…I'd be able to see you again…"

"I'm here…" Euphemia sobbed, tears of joy streaking down her cheek as she held her half-sibling tightly against her, the two of them simply lying there, basking in the feel of the other's arms "I'll always be right here…"

"Euphie…" Lelouch choked out, too overcome with emotion to care as he hugged the woman he'd failed to save, the woman he'd been forced to kill, the first woman to hold a place in his heart to his chest, tears streaming from his eyes "I swear…" he vowed, "I'll never let you go…not again…"

"Lelouch?" Euphemia wondered, the former Demon Emperor looking down to find her gazing up at him, almost expectantly, her blue eyes peering into his solitary purple one, almost longingly.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Lelouch brought his lips down towards hers, Euphemia's eyes widening slightly as she realized what he intended, only to close them, bringing her own up to meet his own, the two of them sharing in a chaste kiss that seemed, to them, to last an eternity.

It was Lelouch that broke the contact first, pulling back from Euphemia's lips with a strength of will he hadn't know he possessed, breathing slightly from the racing of his heart and the lingering taste of her that remained.

"Euphie…" he breathed, the pink haired princess looking up at him inquisitively, a slightly dazed expression on her face "There's something I need to tell you…!" he began, trying to work up the words, the same words he'd been going over so carefully in preparation for this very moment suddenly vanishing as he struggled to recall them "It's about-!"

He trailed off, blinking in surprise as one of Euphemia's gloved fingers came up to silence his lips, the Pink haired princess' other hand reaching up to hold his head in place. "Later…" she insisted, smiling up at him, her blue eyes seeing only him "We have all the time in the world."

So saying, she seized his lips with her own once more, holding his head in place with her gloved hands, Lelouch's surprise giving way to acceptance as his hands came up, stroking her back through the fabric of her dress, finding the catch and slowly bringing it down.

* * *

_Elsewhere :D_

"Lord Schniezel…" Canon Maldini called out, the aide de camp turning to look at his master as they overlooked the excavation of the ruins "Is something wrong?"

"Hm? OH, no…" Schniezel countered, smiling at his aide reassuringly even as he turned back to the towering form of the Gawain before him "Nothing at all."

* * *

Kyugan: and we'll cut off there.

Lelouch: (Dressed in Zero boxers) The HELL you bastard!

Kyugan: What? Some people are iffy on the whole 'sibling sex' thing okay? This way you and Euphie can get 'reacquainted' britannian royal familly style, without having the eyes of the world watching you.

Euphie: Lulu~! Come back~! It's cold in here!

Lelouch: Coming! (Glares at Kyugan) You're lucky It's been a while!

Kyugan: Go get'em slugger! (Turns to camera) there, for those of you who asked for it, the Euphie path is unlocked.

C.C: kukukukuku...

Kyugan: Again, this one was a trial run, so don't expect miracle updates, for now, it is officially on hold. I've got an assload of other fics that need attention...such as Vand-Dread-O, not to mention OTHER ideas that people have been asking me to look into.

C.C: Why not start up a forum?

Kyugan: I would If i knew HOW. Hell it's a damn good idea! It'd save people having to PM me every time they had a suggestion. *Hint hint*


End file.
